UK has warmest spring on record, Met Office says
SKY NEWS UK
Monday 2 June 2025
Temperature records are broken in all four UK nations – as the Met Office says the country’s climate “continues to change”.
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.
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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.
A couple relax in the warm weather on the beach in Margate, Kent. Thursday is expected to be the hottest day of the year so far, with forecasters predicting temperatures could hit 30C at the earliest point on record. Picture date: Thursday May 1, 2025.0:55.
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.”
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It comes after the Met Office warned the UK is set for a hotter than usual summer – with an increased risk of heatwaves over the next three months.