Last week around 362 twisters swept through southern America in just three days. At least 350 people have died as a result of this, the largest outbreak of tornadoes in history, according the National Weather Service.

312 tornadoes whipped across Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Louisiana and Kentucky in a single 24 hour period. The death toll continues to rise as emergency workers pick through the debris in the south-east states. A state of emergency has been declared in seven states.

According to Bloomberg, high winds and thunderstorms have caused flight disruption in key US airports, including New York and Atlanta, with more than 500 flights cancelled across the US last week.

Nearly 50 people were killed two weeks ago when storms ripped through US states from Oklahoma to North Carolina.

Astonishingly, nine out of every ten Brits holidaying in Spain this year will have got there on a no-frills airline like easyjet or Ryanair. The percentage for most other European destinations isn’t far behind. And with the budget airlines’ charge for checking in a suitcase ever rising, an increasing number of holidaymakers are taking just what will fit into a cabin bag with maximum dimensions of 55x40x20cm. Ryanair also imposes a 10kg weight limit whereas easyJet allows any weight ‘within reason’.

Ryanair has been especially tough on slightly oversize bags, sometimes creating lengthy departure gate queues as passengers with a cabin bag bulging beyond the max argue with staff then desperately extract enough to slim the bag.

If no-one has yet coined the phrase cabin bag anxiety, it’s time they did. But what the extortionate bag check-in charges do mean is that it’s worth investing in a cabin bag that makes the most of what you’re allowed. Luggage specialist Antler has come up a bag specifically designed for that purpose. It claims the Duolite is the lightest, most durable case it has ever produced. Combining a hybrid ABS and nylon material with a frameless construction, the Duolite is super lightweight, with the cabin case weighing in at just 2.1kg. With dimensions of 55x35x20, it meets most airlines’ cabin bag size limits (but always check before flying).

A weight of 2.1kg probably doesn’t mean much to most people, but we’ve been trying one out and the first thing everyone says is, “Isn’t it light?” The second is that  it nevertheless feels well made and strong in a high-tech sort of way, and the third is that it wheels along very easily. So although it has a recommended retail price of £89 (the lowest discounted price we saw online was £84), that could be a worthwhile investment. Our only reservation is that its width of 35cm is actually 5cm, or a couple of inches, less than most airlines allow, so you aren’t quite maximising the allowance. Having said that, the structure of the case intrudes very little into the internal space, which can also be expanded slightly by undoing a zip-fastened gusset extension to give a depth of 23cm if the airline isn’t being too strict. The bag has one zipped external pocket, and comes complete with a TSA padlock (which can be opened by security staff without having to break into the case).

For those trips where a cabin bag just isn’t enough, Antler does two matching suitcases of similar construction. The medium case (67x44x30/33cm) weighs 2.5kg, with a rrp of £105 and the large (74x49x33/36cm) weighs 2.9kg with a rrp of £109. With excess baggage charges of up to £40 per kilo, the two kilos or so saved compared with a typical case could almost pay for these cases, which all come with a 10-year warranty. Further details and stockists at www.antler.co.uk

There’s a new reason for visiting Florida, especially if you have young Harry Potter fans in tow. Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando has just opened its newest, grandest and most ambitious addition: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

The Wizarding World is full of sights from the Potter universe. Rides including Dragon Challenge, Flight of the Hippogriff and the Forbidden Journey promise to bring thrills to guests of all ages, while sights like Ollivander’s Wand Shop, Hagrid’s Hut and Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods will delight Potter fans.

If that list of whimsical flights of fancy leaves you cold, flight search website Skyscanner is trying to drum up business with a list of alternative wizard venues. Starting with New Zealand, used as the setting when JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed. With unrivalled vistas and great natural beauty, it’s the perfect setting for the wizard Gandalf to bestride Middle Earth. Tolkien fans continue to catch flights to New Zealand to experience the world of hobbits, elves and orcs for themselves.

Orcs no good? Then there’s always the Wizard of Oz, in Kansas, USA. In 1900, L. Frank Baum described the adventures of one Dorothy Gale, a young girl who is whisked away by a tornado, ending up in the Land of Oz. Befriending a talking scarecrow, a cowardly lion and a tin man, she journeyed to visit The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and get back home to Kansas, where today fans can visit the Oz Museum which holds masses of memorabilia from the books, films and musicals.

Possibly even more magical, if you’re a basketball fan, would be a visit to the Washington Wizards in Washington, DC. Based in the capital city’s Verizon Center, this professional basketball team had a genuine wizard of the court play for them in the form of superstar Michael Jordan from 2001 to 2003. They still fill their arena for every game and their skill and showmanship make for an unforgettable experience. Or so they say.

Closer to home is Parc Asterix, a theme-park 22 miles north of Paris that’s based on the world of cartoon character Asterix. There you can meet the wizard, a member of Goscinny and Uderzo’s tribe of rebellious Gaul warriors who comically torment Julius Caesar’s legions in ancient France. Getafix is a potion-concocting druid who can prepare an elixir that grants superhuman strength to those who drink it.

Following on from my previous post on the new $14 visa charge for the USA, ABTA, along with money saving websites, have taken up the call to urge holidaymakers who might visit the USA within the next two years to apply online for their ESTA before charges come in to effect on 8th September.

By applying early a family of four will save $56, approximately £40. All passengers travelling under the Visa Waiver Program must have a valid ESTA to gain entry to the USA.

The charge has been introduced to help fund the promotion of the USA. ABTA Head of Public Affairs Luke Pollard said: “We fully support the US Government’s wish to encourage people to visit their country. However charging visitors $14 each to fund this drive seems a rather odd way of doing so.

“Customers should go online to obtain their ESTA before 8 September to avoid the charge.”

To apply for an ESTA click here.

Iceland Express is launching three new US routes over 2010/2011. The airline is adding Orlando, Chicago and Boston to its network.

The Orlando service will run temporarily from 2-24th October 2010 and every Saturday from London Gatwick, with return flights departing on a Sunday. Prices will start at £224 one-way including taxes.

The Chicagoservice launches on 10th June 2011 and will operate every Friday from London Gatwick. Flights will start from £221 one-way including taxes.

Boston flights from London Gatwick will begin on 13th June 2011 and run four times a week, Monday to Thursday. Prices will start from £231 one-way including taxes.

Iceland Express will offer a stopover in Reykjavik for all flights to the USA.

European travellers will have to pay an extra $14 from September for electronic visas to visit the US.

Known as Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (Esta), the visas have been compulsory for UK tourists and other European visitors since January 2009 but have been free so far.From 8th September the US will start charging $14, or around £9 based on the current exchange rates.

The European Union has criticised the move, claiming that it could deter or complicate travel and consumer groups are advising people planning a trip to the US to apply now to beat the charges as the Esta lasts for two years, or until a person’s passport expires.

“Anyone even mulling over going to the USA should urgently go and fill in their Esta right away.

“It is rather strange this fee is mainly going to promote US tourism. You would’ve thought keeping it cheaper to get in would help more – after all, it’s free for most Americans to come here.” said Martin Lewis, MoneySavingExpert.com creator.

Visit USA said although it did not support any taxes on tourism, it was relieved at the price set.

“We had expected it to be around $17-20, so we were pleasantly surprised that it is $14, which comes in at around less than £10 a head with the exchange rate,” said a spokesman.

The price is set at $14, so consumers should be wary of bogus websites charging higher rates.

What do readers of this blog think about this tax? Is it something we should adopt too or will it complicate or deter people from travel as the EU points out? Comment below.