Britain has experienced its sunniest year since records began more than a century ago, the Met Office confirmed today.
Provisional figures reveal 1,622 hours of sunshine had been logged across the country by December 15, eclipsing the previous benchmark established in 2003.
With a fortnight remaining before the start of 2026, the record appears unassailable.
Throughout 2025, every month except February and October delivered above-average sunshine totals.
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
The achievement stands in stark contrast to 2024, which proved to be the gloomiest year the nation had witnessed since 1998.
England drove much of the record-breaking performance, registering its brightest year in history.
Scotland secured its second-sunniest year on record, whilst Wales achieved its sixth.
More than 1,600 hours of sunshine had been logged across the country by December 15
|GETTY
One Northern Irish location delivered a remarkable milestone: Magilligan in County Derry recorded 301.3 hours of sunshine during May 2025, marking the highest monthly sunshine total ever documented in the province for any month.
The exceptional spring proved pivotal, delivering not only record sunshine but also the warmest conditions and driest weather in over five decades.
Met Office senior scientist Mike Kendon attributed the exceptional conditions to persistent atmospheric patterns. "The record-breaking sunshine across the UK this year was driven by the frequent influence of high pressure that reduced cloud cover and brought sunny skies for many," he said.
Mr Kendon highlighted the remarkable spring period, noting: "Spring was exceptional, and many will remember the long spells of days with largely unbroken sunshine."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The abundant sunshine delivered substantial benefits for renewable energy generation
| GETTYMarch ranked as the third-sunniest on record, followed by an unprecedented April that broke all previous records, then the second-brightest May ever documented.
Summer continued the trend, with all three months exceeding typical sunshine levels through sustained high-pressure dominance.
The abundant sunshine delivered substantial benefits for renewable energy generation.
Solar power supplied more than six per cent of Britain's annual energy requirements during 2025, representing an increase exceeding 50 per cent compared with recent years.
The spring and summer months proved particularly productive, with solar installations providing over ten per cent of the nation's energy between April and August.
A new output record was established on July 8, capitalising on several heatwaves.
The Met Office said Britain has generally become sunnier since the 1980s, potentially linked to reduced aerosols in the atmosphere.
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter