UK web use hits all-time high in July

Another high-water mark for the UK last month. The number of Britons online reached its highest ever level in July with 31.8 million unique visitors flocking to the net, many in search of last-minute holidays in the sun, from the looks of it. The summer season usually sees a lull in net usage. Not so in 2007, the year summer never arrived.

According to web measurement firm Comscore, online retailers, cinema sites like Odeon.co.uk and holiday booking sites were the biggest gainers during the sodden month of July. The figures point to an indisputable fact about online habits: bad weather makes for strong usage, something TV execs have known for years. "With weather in the UK being so poor this summer it's clear that – for domestic recreation activities at least – people have been surfing the internet for indoor entertainment," said Comscore's Bob Ivins.

Some Britons, evidently, were looking to escape. After retail and cinema, the travel category saw the biggest gains in traffic. Lastminute.com, Cheapflights and First Choice Holidays grew by 30 per cent, 22 per cent and 19 per cent, respectively, Comscore reports.