Does Travel Insurance Cover Extreme Heat?
The answer isn’t as black and white as travelers might like. But there are ways to protect trip costs from heat-related consequences.
A tour guide leads a group at the Acropolis during extreme hot conditions in Athens on July 14.
Photographer: Yorgos Karahalis/BloombergWith global temperatures reaching records each month this summer—and unprecedented wildfires destroying parts of Greece, Canada and Italy—heat is increasingly becoming a consideration in the way people travel. Shifting destinations is one strategy; buying travel insurance is another.
Neither is black and white. Weather is unpredictable everywhere, and travel insurance policies can vary tremendously. Plus, heat can affect travelers in myriad ways, ranging from the uncomfortable to the inconvenient (flight delays) to the downright dangerous (heatstroke). Some policies will cover certain risks but not others—and all must be secured ahead of your departure.