Britain has recorded its sunniest year on record in 2025, meteorologists announced on Wednesday.
The country logged an average of 1,622 hours of sunshine up to December 15, beating the record set in 2003, the Met Office said.
The spring period saw what the Met Office described as an “exceptional” amount of sunshine. This was followed by periods of clear skies during the summer that helped set the record.
Met Office confirms 2025 as Britain’s sunniest year in history
The weather agency attributed the sunshine to the “frequent influence of high pressure that reduced cloud cover and brought sunny skies for many”.
The periods of clear skies contributed towards Britain experiencing its hottest summer on record this year.
The Met Office said in September that the mean temperature in the summer months was 16.10C, surpassing the record of 15.76C set in 2018.
Scientists have warned that human-driven climate change is resulting in more frequent and intense weather events worldwide.
Britain’s 2025 sunshine record linked to high pressure and clear skies
However, the Met Office said in Wednesday’s statement that “climate projections currently show no definitive evidence of a future trend in sunshine amounts due to climate change”.
The UK has become sunnier since the 1980s, though “the cause of this trend is uncertain”, the agency noted. “It may simply be down to natural variability, though reduced aerosols could be a factor,” the Met Office added.
The agency noted that 2024 had been the dullest year for sunshine since 1998.
