Travellers' guide

Reykjavík is a popular winter destination for many Europeans, mainly because of the prospect of seeing the Northern Lights. Surprisingly, however, you should always take a swimwear with you when visiting the capital of Iceland in the winter months, so that you can enjoy the many health benefits from the geothermal hot springs in the area. The steam arising from the hot springs and geysers gave Reykjavík its name, which loosely translates to the Bay of Smokes.  

Image: View of Vancouver from Grouse Mountain by Adam Lindsay

You could say the people of Vancouver are as obsessed about the weather as the British. It’s not just because Vancouver is in British Columbia, it is more to do with it experiencing a similar climate to Britain.

When you think of the weather in India you will unsurprisingly think about the monsoon rains that affect parts of southern Asia between June and September each year. The monsoon is very much associated with heavy rainfall but the word itself
means ‘season’ and describes the changes in wind direction during a seasonal cycle. Monsoons are characterised by a pronounced rainy season but also include the dry season as well. In the Delhi region, which lies in Northern India, the

Dr Liz's travel weather column appears in the travel section of the Saturday Independent

St Petersburg

St Petersburg is situated along the shores of the Neva Bay in the Gulf of Finland and experiences a continental climate that is moderated somewhat by the Baltic Sea. The city is positioned at latitude 60°N and experiences a huge variation in daylight hours during the year, ranging from six to 19 hours a day. Twilight may last all night in early summer, from mid-May to mid-July, and this celebrated event is known as the white nights.

Dr Liz's travel weather column appears in the travel section of the Saturday Independent

Hawaii

Hawaii's mild climate, beautiful scenery, warm ocean and gentle breezes make it the perfect holiday destination to visit any time of the year, but the variations in the weather across the islands can actually be quite surprising. In fact Hawaii boasts 11 of the 13 climate zones in the world, each with unique ecosystems and weather characteristics. On the nightly local news, you'll find surf reports for each side of the islands, along with wind and rainfall forecasts.

by Dr Liz Bentley

The people of Vancouver are almost as obsessed with the weather as the British. It's not just because Vancouver is in British Columbia - it is more to do with their weather being as dramatically changeable as ours.

Dr Liz's travel weather column appears in the travel section of the Independent every second Saturday

The Caribbean

The Caribbean only really has two seasons – one wet, one dry. Between December and June the islands are pleasantly warm, dry and sunny. The remainder of the year can be hot and wet, as occasionally the islands are affected by passing hurricanes. Even more occasionally, the hurricane's path will directly cross one of the islands, which occurred most recently with Hurricane Ike in September 2008.