The poor weather which has hit parts of southern Europe is set to subside at the end of the week.

Countries such as Spain are likely to experience a heatwave from Friday onwards, with temperatures hovering around the seasonal average.

Indeed, Angel Rivera of the Spanish Meteorological Office believes temperature levels should go up “considerably” this weekend, reports the Typically Spanish website.

He said the mercury is likely to rise to about 40 degrees C in some parts of the country, such as Valencia and the Costa del Sol.

This could be good news for British holidaymakers who are looking to escape from the miserable conditions in some parts of the UK.

Earlier this week, Jonathan Powell of Positive Weather Solutions suggested that people who want some guaranteed sunshine in Europe should visit Spain.

However, he reminded people to be aware the heat may become more intense further south.

People who are thinking of relocating to Spain have been encouraged to start learning the language.

According to Property Showrooms, people in the European country are generally very hospitable to foreign expatriates.

However, the firm said they could build stronger relations with Spanish nationals if they know a few key words and phrases.

Cary Johnston, spokesperson for Property Showrooms, commented: “The Spanish will warm to you even more if you make an effort to speak a few words in the local language.”

He added that Spain offers a quality of life which is “second to none”, partly because it has attractions such as year-round sunshine.

This, combined with the better air quality, means that people can feel healthier both physically and mentally.

According to the Association of International Property Professionals, Spain is currently the most popular location for British buyers.

Figures showed that the country accounted for more than a quarter of all overseas purchases last year.

People in Spain are enjoying a far better quality of life than those in other parts of Europe, it has been revealed.

Research by uSwitch.com found that Spain ranks highly in many areas, as it offers a relatively low cost of living and favourable prices.

In addition, people in the country are living longer, enjoying more holiday entitlement and retiring earlier.

This could help to explain why Britain currently has the highest level of outwards migration in Europe, with many of those leaving heading to Spain.

Commenting on the findings, uSwitch said: “Spain fares well in most categories, with low taxation and cheaper essential goods such as petrol, energy and food.”

The country was also praised for offering the most hours of sunshine per year, as it get 80 per cent more than the UK.

This comes after the Post Office revealed that Spain is the cheapest of all the countries which use the single European currency.

Holiday home owners have been reminded of the importance of getting the contents of their property fully insured.

According to Zurich Private Clients, second homes typically contain more than £15,000 of goods, even though they are left unoccupied for most of the year.

The British Insurance Brokers Association has responded to the findings by urging property owners to get an appropriate policy to protect their items.

Graeme Trudgill, spokesperson for the body, commented: “To make any home a home, it’s got to have beds, sofas, a television and things like that and when you actually stop and add it up it will be an awful lot of money.”

He added that property owners may need to take out a specialist policy which caters for properties that are left empty for long periods of time.

According to Zurich, Spain is currently the most popular place in which to own a holiday home, with 26 per cent opting for this location.

Authorities in Spain have outlined new plans to reduce the consumption of energy across the country.

According to Reuters, rising fuel prices and an economic downturn have prompted the government to look at ways of saving money.

Industry minister Miguel Sebastian has therefore stated that he wants the country to cut its energy usage by ten per cent over the next two years.

This, he said, could save about €5 million, thereby freeing up funds to be invested in other parts of the economy.

Mr Sebastian commented: “This is going to affect the housing, retail, transport and energy sectors.”

He added that the Spanish government also plans to invest about €1 billion into upgrading the country’s tourism infrastructure.

According to official figures, more than 59 million foreign leisure travellers chose to spend their holiday in Spain last year.

Currency fluctuations in Europe do not appear to be denting the appeal of traditional tourism hotspots, according to industry analysts.

The Association of British Travel Agents stated that countries such as Spain are still proving to be very popular with holidaymakers from the UK.

This is despite the fact that many Britons are dealing with rising living costs at home, while their financial woes have been compounded by the weakness of the pound against the euro.

However, spokesperson Frances Tuke believes consumers are brushing off these concerns and continuing to book their holidays as normal.

She commented: “Spain is holding up very well.

“We know from previous recessions that holidays are the last things that people are prepared to give up.”

This comes after research by Mondial Assistance revealed that nearly one in three consumers from the UK are planning to take their summer holiday in Spain this year.

British leisure travellers have been urged to consider the financial cost of their summer holidays.

The International Currency Exchange (ICE) stated that tourists would benefit from taking exchange rates into account when choosing where they would like to visit.

This would allow people to get the best value for money on their trip, as they will be required to pay for more than just flights and accommodation.

Andrew Hamilton, head of marketing at ICE, commented: “The credit crunch means holidaymakers should make sure they are getting the most for their pounds, as all the little extras soon mount up.”

Figures from ICE illustrated how costs vary across the world, as entry into a tourist attraction in Florida can cost up to £30 per head, whereas the average entry fee in Spain is close to £8.

Meanwhile, the Edinburgh Evening News has revealed that the Costa Blanca is proving to be very popular with Scottish leisure travellers.

The newspaper cited figures from BAA Scotland which identified Alicante as a hotspot for tourists last month.

Spain is proving to be a popular destination among holidaymakers of all ages, new research has revealed.

According to Insurance.co.uk, the European country is the main hotspot for British families who are taking their young children abroad.

In addition, Spain was identified as one of this year’s most popular destinations with people aged over 60.

However, the website also found that young children in the UK are now very well-travelled, as most under-threes will have been abroad at least once.

By contrast, only two-thirds of those aged over 60 have ventured to another country at some point in the past.

Steve Grainger, head of Insurance.co.uk, observed: “Our research clearly shows the over-60s wish they’d seen the world.”

This comes after research by Mondial Assistance revealed that nearly one in three consumers from the UK are planning to take their summer holiday in Spain this year.

Budget-conscious Britons are spending less on luxury items to make sure they can afford a holiday, new research has revealed.

According to Kayak.co.uk, 95 per cent of people in the UK consider going on holiday more important that owning a home, being in a relationship or having a car, reports Reuters.

Therefore, people affected by the ongoing downturn in the British economy are cutting back in some areas in order to pay for a trip overseas.

Annie Wilson, business development director at the website, commented: “As a nation, we’ve always been much more likely to explore the four corners of the earth than to buy the latest flat screen TV.”

She added that if financially prudent consumers are prepared to be flexible, they could still find “the perfect trip” at a reasonable price.

Earlier this week, the Association of British Travel Agents stated that the number of bookings for this summer has been very healthy.

The popularity of Spain among British holidaymakers has led to a surge in the number of people passing through a UK airport.

According to new figures, more than 534,000 people travelled through East Midlands Airport during May 2008 - 10.7 per cent up on the same period of 2007.

This was said to be partially due to the two bank holidays, which saw many local people jet off to places including Alicante and Malaga.

The two Spanish cities were flagged up as two of the most popular destinations for air passengers during this period.

Penny Coates, managing director of East Midlands Airport, commented: “This is a remarkable achievement given the current industry trends.”

This is the first time that monthly passenger numbers have exceeded half a million at the transport hub.

Spain was recently named as the most popular holiday destination among European consumers by Mondial Assistance.