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The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Record-breaking spring weather: How the UK nations compare
All four UK nations saw their warmest spring on record this year, but experienced different levels of rainfall and sunshine. Here the PA news agency looks at how the nations compare, using the latest data from the Met Office. – England Just 75.8mm of rain fell in England across March, April and May this year, making it the second driest spring on record, behind only 1893 (65.7mm rain). It is a stark contrast with last year, when England experienced 263.7mm rain over these three months – enough to make it the fifth wettest spring on record. England saw 221.1mm in the first five months of the year, the lowest total for this period since 1976 (212.4mm). Met Office rainfall data begins in 1836. The mean temperature in England this spring was 10.23C, the warmest on record and just ahead of the previous record of 10.21C which was set only last year. Eight of England's top 10 warmest springs have all occurred since 2000, four of them in the past six years. Met Office temperature data begins in 1884. It was the second sunniest spring on record for England, with 691.6 hours of sunshine across the three months – just behind the record of 692.6 hours set in 2020. Met Office sunshine data starts in 1910. – Scotland An average of 204.1mm rain fell in Scotland this spring, comfortably outside the top 10 driest on record (ranking in 22nd place) and well above the all-time driest (108.4mm in 1852). It was the driest spring in Scotland since 2001. Scotland saw 396.9mm rain in the first five months of 2025, the lowest total for this period since 2001. The mean temperature in Scotland this spring was 8.23C, the warmest on record. The previous record was 7.97C in 2024. As with England, eight of Scotland's top 10 warmest springs have occurred since 2000. It was the sunniest spring on record for Scotland, with 593.7 hours across the three months. The previous record was 520.4C in 2020. – Wales Wales saw its sixth driest spring on record this year, with 145.8mm rain. It was the driest spring since 1990. The lowest spring rainfall recorded for Wales was 110.5mm in 1893. Total rainfall in Wales in 2025 to the end of May is 382.8mm, the lowest for the first five months of the year since 2010. The mean temperature in Wales this spring was 9.69C, the warmest on record. The previous record was 9.66C in 1893, with 2024 (9.43C) now in third place. As with England and Scotland, eight of Wales' top 10 warmest springs have been since 2000. It was the sunniest spring on record for Wales, with 660.4 hours across the three months, ahead of the previous record of 647.1 hours in 2020. – Northern Ireland An average of 168.6mm rain fell in Northern Ireland this spring, just inside the top 40 lowest totals on record. The driest spring on record here was in 1837, when just 98.3mm rain was measured. Total rainfall in Northern Ireland in 2025 to the end of May is 315.2mm, the lowest for this period since 1987. The mean temperature this spring was 9.78C, the warmest on record. The previous record was 9.42C in 1893, with 2024 (9.28C) in third place. Eight of Northern Ireland's top 10 warmest springs have occurred since 2000. This includes 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. It was the sunniest spring on record for Northern Ireland, with 614.3 hours across the three months, beating the previous record of 559.0 hours in 2020.
Sky News
a day ago
- Climate
- Sky News
UK has warmest spring on record, Met Office says
The UK has had its warmest spring on record - and its driest for 50 years, the Met Office has said. Provisional figures showed spring temperatures surpassed the long-term average by 1.4C - with a mean temperature of 9.5C (49.1F). That beat the previous warmest spring recorded in 2024. Temperature records were broken in all four nations in the UK - with 1.64C above the long-term average in Northern Ireland, 1.56C above average in Scotland, 1.39C in Wales and 1.35C in England. In records dating back to 1884, the Met Office said eight of the 10 warmest springs had occurred since 2000 - and the three warmest had been since 2017, in a sign of the changing climate. Last week, the Met Office revealed the UK had recorded its sunniest spring on record - with 630 hours of sunshine from 1 March to 27 May, beating 2020's record by four hours. In an update on Monday, the weather forecaster said there had been a total of 653.3 hours of sunshine in March, April and May - 43% above average, and sunnier than all springs since records began in 1910. "To put this into context, Spring 2025 is now the fourth sunniest season overall for the UK, with only three summers sunnier since 1910," it added. 0:55 Conditions were also incredibly dry with an average of 128.2mm of rain falling in the UK across March, April and May - the lowest spring total since 1974, which saw 123.2mm. Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle said "the UK's climate continues to change". "This spring shows some of the changes we're seeing in our weather patterns, with more extreme conditions, including prolonged dry, sunny weather, becoming more frequent," she said. "The data clearly shows that recent decades have been warmer, sunnier, and often drier than the 20th century average, although natural variation will continue to play a role in the UK's weather."
Sky News
a day ago
- Climate
- Sky News
UK records warmest spring on record, Met Office says
The UK has recorded its warmest spring on record - and its driest for 50 years, the Met Office has said. Provisional figures showed spring temperatures surpassed the long-term average by 1.4C - with a mean temperature of 9.5C (49.1F). That beat the previous warmest spring recorded in 2024. Temperature records were broken in all four nations in the UK - with 1.64C above the long-term average in Northern Ireland, 1.56C above average in Scotland, 1.39C in Wales and 1.35C in England. In records dating back to 1884, the Met Office said eight of the 10 warmest springs had occurred since 2000 - and the three warmest had been since 2017, in a sign of the changing climate. Find out the forecast for your area Last week, the Met Office revealed the UK had recorded its sunniest spring on record - with 630 hours of sunshine from 1 March to 27 May, beating 2020's record by four hours. In an update on Monday, the weather forecaster said there had been a total of 653.3 hours of sunshine in March, April and May - 43% above average, and sunnier than all springs since records began in 1910. "To put this into context, Spring 2025 is now the fourth sunniest season overall for the UK, with only three summers sunnier since 1910," it added. 0:55 Conditions were also incredibly dry with an average of 128.2mm of rain falling in the UK across March, April and May - the lowest spring total since 1974, which saw 123.2mm. Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle said "the UK's climate continues to change". "This spring shows some of the changes we're seeing in our weather patterns, with more extreme conditions, including prolonged dry, sunny weather, becoming more frequent," she said. "The data clearly shows that recent decades have been warmer, sunnier, and often drier than the 20th century average, although natural variation will continue to play a role in the UK's weather."
The Independent
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Temperatures hit 26C in warm end to UK's sunniest spring on record
UK temperatures hit 26C on Saturday, wrapping up the sunniest spring on record before the country officially goes into the summer season. Heathrow in west London enjoyed the hottest weather at 26.7C, about 8C hotter than the average for the time of year, while levels of grass pollen were very high in the South East. A balmy end to spring for many comes as provisional figures from the Met Office show 630 hours of sunshine were clocked up across the country between March 1 and May 27. Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: 'It's the last day of meteorological spring today but it'll actually feel more like midsummer for some southern and eastern areas. 'It's fairly warm in that sunshine, particularly across more eastern and south-eastern parts of the UK, with temperatures in the mid 20s.' He said it has been a 'different story' in the North West where people have seen cooler and more showery weather, which is expected to spread on Sunday. 'Further showers and longer spells of rain across the north of the UK and feeling much fresher for all of us by tomorrow,' Mr Morgan continued. 'Generally a fine start for many parts of England and Wales, a mixture of clouds and sunny spells overall though it will be a breezier day tomorrow and generally a bit cloudier too. 'So the cloud bubbling up through the morning, further showers and longer spells of rain pushing eastwards across Northern Ireland and Scotland, the odd rumble of thunder here and there. 'Showers breaking out quite widely across northern England, Wales, the Midlands and the South West as well, but some places will stay dry, particularly across the South East of England.'
The Sun
6 days ago
- Climate
- The Sun
UK weather: Brits to bask in glorious sunshine this weekend with ‘Iberia heat' sending temps to 26C – but only for some
SOME Brits could be set to enjoy temperatures as high as 26C this weekend as "Iberian heat" rolls in alongside glorious sunshine. The Met Office has forecast that the jet stream, which is coming up from the Atlantic Ocean, will allow warm air to be drawn up from the Iberian Peninsula, carrying it to the UK. 6 6 6 This could lead to above-average temperatures across parts of Britain, while some other areas could be in for showers and cloudy conditions this weekend. Met Office Meteorologist Alex Deakin explained that the "reasonably active" jet stream "may well tap into some real warmth from Iberia as we head into Friday and Saturday." He added: "Temperatures across the south - where it warms up on Friday - could get to 24C, 25C, maybe even 26C." The Iberian Peninsula, which includes Spain and Portugal, typically enjoys far warmer weather than the UK - and so winds carried over from this region are expected to help heat up southern and eastern England. Alex added that as we head into Saturday, parts of central England could also experience higher temperatures, pushing towards the 26C mark. He said: "By the time we get to Saturday, that warmth extends further north across more parts of central and eastern England - so we'll see temperatures more widely over 20c and into the mid-20s in parts of eastern England." However, this warmth won't be for everyone, due to winds coming in from the west and south west. Alex explained these winds would mean that western areas in the UK wouldn't feel "as warm". However, he added: "It'll still feel quite warm and humid everywhere as we head towards the end of this week. "But temperatures [will have] quite a contrast - it is going to warm up but only for some." 6 6 6 While temperatures are likely to be above-average across East Anglia and the south east, conditions are expected to be average for this time of year in the west of the UK, Alex said. In terms of sunshine, much of the south and east are expected to bask in glorious bright conditions, while western and northern areas are hit with clouds and scattered showers. Alex added: "If we see some sunshine on Saturday, it will really feel quite warm in these eastern areas." He explained western areas will likely not feel the sunshine this weekend, as an area of low pressure from the west brings "more cloud and more rain". By Sunday, there are expected to be scattered showers across parts of the north of England and Scotland, while southern areas should remain largely dry. This comes just days after Brits were soaked in a washout Bank Holiday Monday, with temperatures having dropped to as low as -5C in some regions. Thunderstorms hit across the UK, with one area - in and around the River Mimram in Hertfordshire - being issued with a flood alert. It followed the driest start to the spring in nearly six decades. Met Office five-day forecast Today: Wind and rain will move steadily east, with heavy, persistent rain over northwestern hills in the morning. Rain becomes patchy, with sunny spells developing across central and eastern areas. Cloudy elsewhere with drizzle. Winds easing, feeling locally warm. Tonight: Low cloud and drizzle will persist across many western hills overnight, before more persistent rain returns to the north and west, along with strengthening winds later. Clear spells elsewhere. Friday: Rain clearing eastwards across northern areas, Cloudy across central areas, with sunny spells and showers across the south. Temperatures near normal overall, but feeling warm in the southeast. Outlook for Saturday to Monday: Further showery rain this weekend, mainly in the north. Some very warm sunshine at first further south. Feeling warm, especially on Saturday, cooler from Sunday, and often breezy.
