Met Office confirms 2025 was UK’s sunniest year on record
The UK has seen its sunniest year on record, with the Met Office reporting an average of 1,622 hours of sunshine across the country as of 15 December.
This figure easily surpassed the previous record of 1,587 hours set during 2003.
England had its sunniest year ever, Scotland had its second brightest year and Wales had its sixth brightest year ever.
Northern Ireland has the chance to finish in the sunniest 10 years, with two weeks to go until 2023, although it may not be as sunny.
According to the Met Office, an “exceptional” amount of sunshine during the spring months, followed by long periods of clear weather throughout the summer, were key factors in setting the new record.
These periods of unremitting clear skies also contributed to both spring and summer being the warmest on record in the UK, relative to mean average temperatures.
Met Office senior scientist Mike Kendon said: “This year’s record-breaking sunshine has been driven by the frequent impact of high pressure, which reduces cloud cover and brings sunny skies for many.
“Spring was spectacular and many will remember long days with largely uninterrupted sunlight.
“It started with the third sunniest March on record, followed by the record-breaking sunniest April, and then the second sunniest May.
“All three months of summer saw above-average hours of sunshine, and although sunny spells are not unusual for this time of year, the duration and consistency of high-pressure systems make 2025 significantly sunnier than average.”
Met Office sunlight data began in 1910 and temperature data began in 1884.
This year’s record-breaking weather conditions have benefited the country’s energy sector, according to the National Energy System Operator (Neso).
Between April and August, solar energy met more than 10 per cent of Britain’s energy needs.
On July 8, solar energy set a new record for total generation, providing over 14 GW of electricity for the first time; this was enough to meet more than 40 percent of Britain’s needs at the time.
The Met Office said Britain had become sunnier overall since the 1980s, but the reason for this trend was unclear and could be due to natural changes in weather conditions from year to year.
Reduced aerosol use “may be a factor,” while climate projections “do not currently show definitive evidence of a future trend in the amount of sunlight due to climate change.”
The Met Office is expected to publish an update next week on where 2025 will line up in terms of temperature and rainfall.
