Brits due to sign up for business car hire in the north of England and Scotland this week may want to bear in mind the wildly fluctuating weather conditions when picking a vehicle.

Despite the UK seeing record-breaking heat for an October day on Saturday, forecasters have now warned that parts of the country could face hurricanes and snow by the end of the week, the Mail Online reports.

The news provider revealed that by Friday, temperatures could be set to drop as much as 18 degrees Centigrade, compared with its weekend peak, with the tail-end of Hurricane Ophelia currently on course to batter British shores in the north.

A 4x4 that scaled Snowdon mountain in Wales is to be sold on eBay - with all proceeds going to local rescue teams, its owner has pledged.

The vehicle that "goes anywhere you point it" - according to its auction description - had to be abandoned a few hundred metres from the summit when it became stuck in early September.

Its owner, Craig Williams - who nicknamed the Vauxhall Frontera 'Trusty' - said that sales from the vehicle will go to the Ogwen Valley and Llanberis mountain rescue teams.

Temperatures will soar in Britain this week with some areas in the south expected to hit around 28C, say forecasters.

The Indian summer, expected to arrive from Wednesday, is set to be the warmest October weekend for 26 years. According to Telegraph.co.uk, the temperatures will be even hotter than those on the tropical island of Kauai in Hawaii.

"At the moment, it looks like Friday and Saturday are going to be the warmest days of the week with temperatures locally getting up to as high as 28C in the London area," MeteoGroup forecaster Andy Ratcliffe told the Press Association.

Prime minister, David Cameron, has launched a new tourism campaign that aims to put the "Great" back into Britain.

Over half a million pounds will be spent on the campaign that aims to highlight the country's broad appeal in fields such as sport, art, business and music.

Ideally the prime minister will be hoping that the world will not see Britain in a negative light following the urban riots of August, Telegraph.co.uk commented in a news report.

"We want to extend an invitation to the world to take a fresh look at everything we have to offer," Mr Cameron told New York business leaders on Wednesday. "Britain today is simply a great place to visit, study and work. A great place to invest and do business."

Fans of supercars and 4x4s may have had their prayers answered in the shape of Maserati's new Kubang concept car, which was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

According to the Mirror, the vehicle boasts an eight-speed auto box, with an engine that will be designed and produced by Ferrari. It could go into production as early as 2013.

The publication praised the car's concept lines and suggested Maserati is aiming to emulate the popularity of Porsche's offroader - the Cayenne. It is the latter manufacturer's most profitable car ever and may have won over a number of luxury car drivers to 4x4 hire with its crossover appeal.

A family fun day is to raise funds for local charities on Hayling Island this Saturday to make up for a postponed summer barbecue.

The Hayling Island Businessman's Club hope to rake in hundreds of pounds in donations that will contribute to the running costs for the island community's minibus hire. Portsmouth mainland residents are also invited to the bash which is set to take place on Northney Farm.

Portsmouth.co.uk reports that despite the summer set back, Saturday looks set to be a fun-filled for all the family. Visitors can expect to go on tractor rides, get dizzy on the bouncy castle, show off their moves at the mini disco and stuff themselves silly with lashings of traditional food.

European Union (EU) member states may soon be compelled to install eCall technology in cars, in a bid to make vehicles safer.

IEWY News reported that the EU wants to have legislation in place by 2015, with the organisation citing research showing that emergency services' response times could be improved by 40 per cent and 50 per cent in urban and rural areas respectively.

This means that long term car hire firms look set to have to fit their vehicles with eCall, which is estimated to cost £90 for each car and automatically sends information and calls for help when a serious crash occurs.

Businesses in Winchester are said to be bustling with tourists as a result of the infamous British 'staycation'.

It has also been revealed that they are spending more than ever. According to figures released Winchester Business Improvement District (BID), each visitor spent £18.29 on average in 2008, but now that figure has risen to £28.91 this summer.

HampshireChronicle.co.uk, who reported on the survey, spoke to BID executive director Chris Turner about the findings.

New research suggests the number of people in the UK planning on buying a vehicle in the next six months has dropped dramatically.

The Sainsbury's Finance study indicated there has been a 22 per cent dip in the quantity of individuals who may make a purchase during that time compared with the past half year, which could result in more drivers opting for car hire.

Steven Baillie, head of loans at the company, told Press Association: "After a steady increase in our index for two years, this decline is a real indication of how the economy is affecting people's car-buying plans."

Land Rover has reigned supreme as the UK's favourite 4x4 maker in an online poll by MSN Cars.

Nearly 40,000 people cast their vote in the August poll, which posed the question: 'Which firm makes the best '4x4' type cars?'

The British firm, which is known for models such as Freelander, Discovery and Defender, blew the competition out of the water; commanding a massive 54 per cent share of the user vote.

Land Rover has reigned supreme as the UK's favourite 4x4 maker in an online poll by MSN Cars.

Nearly 40,000 people cast their vote in the August poll, which posed the question: 'Which firm makes the best '4x4' type cars?'

The British firm, which is known for models such as Freelander, Discovery and Defender, blew the competition out of the water; commanding a massive 54 per cent share of the user vote.

Experts are urging those who might want to rent a van during the period spanning next summer's Olympic Games to "plan ahead", reports Fleet News.

Figures released show a huge surge in demand for contract van hire in July and August this year, across the South East of England in particular. One rental company reported that its van rentals were almost a third higher in July than they were just three months previously, in April.

Business travel spending is on the rise, according to travel and expense management company Concur.

It found that all travel sectors experienced a boost, with air travel growing by an impressive 9.3 per cent year-on-year. Accommodation spending was also up, as hotels yielded a 5.6 per cent growth.

Although slight, business car hire rates also rose by 0.3 per cent, while other forms of ground transportation and entertainment rose this quarter; by 5.9 per cent and 4.9 per cent respectively.

New research suggests there may be more people opting to use car hire to visit the beach this summer, as significant investment in UK coastal towns is boosting visitor numbers.

About £100 million of public investment has been allocated to seaside resort towns and this has led to a 21 per cent increase in travellers spending the night in such destinations, according to The Independent.

A van hire company saved the day after a successful charity bike ride threatened to turn sour for four brave cyclists.

The team from Sunderland were absolutely shattered after completing their six-day cycle from Land's End to John O' Groats and were desperate to get home, especially sports coach Fraser Kennedy, whose 14-month-old son had been taken ill in hospital.