UK records sunniest spring in over a century

LONDON: The UK had its sunniest spring since records began, the Met Office said on Wednesday after weeks of above-average temperatures and dry weather in the country known for its rainy days.

With 630 hours of sunshine between March 1 and May 27, 2025 was the sunniest spring since 1910, the Met office said.

It beat the previous record set in 2020 by four hours -- with four days of the season still remaining.

“It has indeed been an extremely sunny and dry spring for the majority,” said Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle.

“But with a few days left of the season and more unsettled weather this week, it’s too early to say what will happen with other records.”

Other statistics, including for rainfall, are due to be published next week.

It has been a spring of records, as Britain logged its hottest ever May Day with temperatures soaring to 29.3 degrees Celsius (84.7 degrees Fahrenheit), after recording its sunniest ever April.

England also saw its driest start to spring in 69 years according to the government’s environment agency, raising fears of drought and stunted crops among farmers.

Earlier this month, the Environment Agency called a meeting of its national drought group after it said levels in reservoirs were “exceptionally low”.

Seven out of the 10 sunniest springs on record in the UK took place after 2000, according to the Met Office.

However in the spring of 2024, the country saw just 377 hours of sunshine, making it one of the dreariest on record.

Scientists warn that extreme and fluctuating weather events are becoming increasingly common as planet-heating fossil fuel emissions keep rising.