IF there's one thing that vastly improves a summer staycation, it's reliably hot weather.
Britain might not be known for its dependable sunshine, but there are parts of the UK that almost guarantee warm days and little to no rain in the summer.
Typically, the south-east has always been the hottest part of the country, because it's closest to the equator and less exposed to the Atlantic Ocean.
But here are a few other warm weather destinations too.
With a UK staycation looking most likely for the majority of holidaymakers this year, here are the places to book where you'll have long sunny days.
Kent
Kent's a pretty safe bet for summer sunshine, with average high temperatures of 21 degrees in July and August.
The seaside resorts of Broadstairs and Whitstable are great choices for a classic beach break, and the county has other great beaches including Dungeness, Greatstone Beach, Botany Bay, Minnis Bay, and Joss Bay. Margate has art galleries, Dreamland – a 1950s-style theme and amusement park – and a scenic railway, making it a great choice for families.
Just along the coast, the market town of Faversham recorded a record temperature of 38.5 degrees in August 2003, heat that would normally be expected in June in Dubai.
It's a town that loves its beer and is home to the UK’s oldest brewer, Shepherd Neame, as well as having great shops and easy access to the countryside of the North Downs.
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Dorset
Ever so slightly cooler but still warm nonetheless, Dorset is a great all-rounder for a summer holiday, with temperatures of around 18-19 degrees in summer.
The coastal town of Swanage sees particularly high temperatures, and has bags for kids to do, from watersports to outdoor adventures, with lovely beaches for building sandcastles and lots of wildlife to spot in the nearby nature reserves.
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Devon
A recent study by the Met Office found that the best staycation locations for good weather were in Devon, which took the top four spots.
Brixham was the warmest on average with 16.9 degrees, followed by Paignton (16.1), Dartmouth (14.9) and Torquay (14.9) – and three of those south-coast harbour towns – Torquay, Paignton and Brixham – also happen to be on the The English Riviera, famed for its great scenery and beaches. The coastal resort of Ilfracombe is also a hit for summer sun.
Devon is a county that has a bit of everything, including sandy beaches, medieval towns and national parks – not to mention the towering cliffs of the northern Exmoor Coast and rock formations on the fossil-rich southern Jurassic Coast.
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Gloucestershire
If you fancy a summer spent wandering through picture-perfect Cotswold villages or cycling through oaks and beeches in the huge Forest of Dean, then Gloucestershire is for you.
One of the county town's, Cheltenham, used to be a spa town and still has lots of historic buildings, including the grand, grade-two listed Pump Room in Pittville Park, which also has boating, wildlife and play areas for kids.
In the town there's lidos, arcades and the trendy Brewery Quarter for the adults. Best of all, you can get highs of 22 degrees in summer, which is the same across the county.
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Cornwall
Cornwall is known to have higher average temperatures year-round, thanks to its ocean-moderated temperatures on the coasts and beaches.
Temperatures typically hover between 16 and 19 degrees, with popular destinations being Newquay, St Ives, Padstow and Falmouth for their natural beauty, beaches, shops and restaurants.
Those looking to get off the beaten track should try the Isles of Scilly off the Cornish Coast. The islands boast a temperate climate that's rare for the UK – it even has sub-tropical vegetation and unusually warm winters that are rarely below ten degrees.
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Sussex
Sussex is a county packed with hotspots, literally. The seaside resort of Bognor Regis will not beaten on the amount of sunshine it gets every year: an average of 1,921 hours.
As a comparison, parts of Scotland get fewer than 900 hours.
Brighton also gets plenty of sunshine, as well as it's less well known neighbour, Eastbourne.
Eastbourne gets tonnes of sunshine – nearly 1,900 hours a year – and it has beaches to rival Dorset that are right next to the Seven Sisters cliffs.
Hastings is also a warm spot on the south coast, with a pretty and historic town centre. It gets an impressive 1,871 hours of sunshine a year.
The city of Chichester is also worth visiting in the summer months. Known for its beautiful countryside and sandy beaches (a rarity in the UK), it’s one of the most consistent places for sunshine if you're not going abroad for holidays.
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Wales
While you may not associate Wales with long dry days, parts of the country get beautiful weather. The picture-perfect town of Tenby, for example, is in South Wales on the 'Welsh Riviera', and gets an incredible 1,667 hours of sunshine per year. Expect high temps of 20 degrees in July and August.
Generally speaking, the warmest parts of Wales are along the south coast including Cardiff and Swansea and the resort towns of Pembrokeshire. Beaches, bays and great coastal walks are just some of the highlights of these locations.
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Cambridgeshire
Situated inland, Cambridgeshire isn't affected by the cooling effects of being close to the sea, so tends to be pretty warm in summer – in fact the average high temp is 23 degrees.
Its home to a number of lovely market towns and cities like Ely and Peterborough, the most famous of which in Cambridge – which in July 2019, became the hottest place in Britain, with a temperature of 38.7 degrees recorded at the Botanic Gardens.
From punting on the river to visiting historic pubs, indulging in retail therapy and sunbathing on Parker's Piece, Cambridge is a great place for a holiday – and easy and cheap to get to from London, too.
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