Wales experiences sunniest spring on record
Wales experiences sunniest spring on record
This spring beat the previous record from 2020
Wales has enjoyed lots of sunny weather this spring
(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne )
The Met Office has revealed that Wales has basked in its sunniest spring on record, with a dazzling 648 hours of sunshine from March 1 to May 28 – surpassing the UK record.
The high temperatures have resulted in an unprecedented number of wildfires which have caused decades worth of damage to the environment.
Kathryn Chalk, a meteorologist at the Met Office, explained that the provisional total beat the previous record of 647 hours set just five years ago in 2020.
Ms Chalk said: "It'll remain often cloudy across Wales today and into tomorrow, but some more brighter interludes are likely on Saturday as we end spring."
Whilst Wales has been soaking up the rays, the rest of the UK hasn't fared too badly either, clocking up 636.8 hours of spring sunshine this year, eclipsing the former record of 626 hours also recorded during lockdown in 2020.
Ms Chalk explained that while new sunlight records had been set in Wales, Scotland and Ireland, England was yet to break its own sunshine record.
Met Office records for sunshine tracking date back over a century to 1910. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here .
Met Office expert Emily Carlisle said: "We all remember the exceptionally sunny spring of 2020 but that title has now been surpassed by the spring of 2025. It has indeed been an extremely sunny and dry spring for the majority, 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."
Data about the season's rainfall will be revealed later this week when the Met Office releases updated figures. Predictions suggest that the UK might have suffered one of its driest springs, despite recent bouts of heavy rain affecting some regions.
Adding to dry weather concerns, Wales has seen an incredibly high number of wildfires this year, with March, 2025, being the driest March since 1944 according to Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
By mid-April, Wales had seen its fire brigades tackle over 1,300 grass fires, with environmental charities warning that it may take decades for certain areas to recover from the extensive damage.
Last week, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) moved the country to a "prolonged dry weather" status due to many rivers being at "low or exceptionally low" levels.
Rhian Thomas, NRW's sustainable water and nature manager, said: "Such a dry start to the year is causing considerable concern for the health of our ecosystems and habitats, as well as for land management and the agricultural sector. As such, we have taken the decision to move the whole of Wales into prolonged dry weather status."
She added: "For us, this means stepping up our actions and monitoring across Wales to help mitigate the impacts on the environment, land, water users and people, and responding to environmental incidents. Our drought teams will continue to meet regularly to review the status."
Ms Thomas emphasised the importance of individuals and businesses using water "wisely" to allow continuous supply without harming the natural surroundings.
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