We’re here to confirm your suspicions: we DID just have an unusually gorgeous spring. The sun was shining a little brighter for a lot longer, in fact, you just lived through the sunniest spring the UK has ever had.
Well, at least since 1910, when records began. The Met Office recorded a total of 630 hours of sunshine between March 1 and May 27, beating the previous record holder, 2020, by four hours. Luckily, this time we haven’t been stuck inside during an international pandemic, so hopefully you’ve been able to make the most of the warm weather.
This spring will come as an especially big relief, after last year’s abysmal 377 hours of sunshine across March, April, and May. Final statistics for this year’s spring weather, including its lack of April showers, will be released on Monday (June 2), and it is expected to reveal that we have also had a very dry, very warm few months – although this cannot be confirmed until the season comes to an official close.
Emily Carlisle, who works as a scientist for the Met Office, said to Sky: ‘We all remember the exceptionally sunny spring of 2020, but that title has now been surpassed by the spring of 2025… 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’.
The records she’s referring to relate to temperature and precipitation, as well as whether or not every individual British country will be claiming its sunniest spring as 2025. So far, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the UK as a whole have already surpassed previous records, so we’re just waiting on England and Wales to see if it’s a clean sweep.
Whatever the records say, we’re just glad to have had such a pleasant few months. If there’s more where that came from, this year could be one for the books – but let’s not speak too soon. The weather is due to be much more changeable over the weekend, so only time will tell what the summer of 2025 has in store.
Enjoy the sun with Time Out
Want to make the most of this glorious weather? Head to one of our favourite coastal towns, or visit one of these natural wonders. Alternatively, here are some of our favourite wild swimming locations, and some of our favourite pub gardens to soak up the sun in.
Did you see that the best coastal walks in Britain, according to a luxury travel magazine?
Plus: Wild camping on Dartmoor is now officially a legal right.
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