Passengers whose holidays are blighted by downpours could be in for a financial silver lining after Lufthansa began offering compensation for rainy days to 36 destinations including Rome, New York and Barcelona.

The carrier is offering passengers who book from its native Germany €20 in compensation for every rainy day up to a maximum of ten days.

The “sunshine rate” is available to all passengers who book flights until 18 August, and is valid on flights departing between 1 September to 31 October.

“If the sunny stay hoped for by many is spoiled by rain, maybe €2 compensation will brighten the mood,” said the airline in a statement.

Lufthansa defines a rainy day as at least 5mm of rainfall per square metre falling in one of the designated destinations, as registered by www. wetteronline.de, a German weather website.

The 36 designated destinations include Barcelona, Istanbul, Madrid, Rome, Dubai, Cairo, New York, Tel Aviv and Washington.

Claimants should send their travel vouchers, boarding passes and a list of rainy days to the insurer once they return.

Lufthansa joins other companies offering similar rain compensation deals, including two French holiday groups, Pierre et Vacances and FranceLoc.

The deal came days after Lufthansa posted a mixed set of results, with passenger numbers down nearly 5 percent on the previous year and analysts questioning whether the airline will break even this year.