San Francisco Frontiers - UK experiences sunniest year on record

The country notched an average of 1,622 hours of sunshine up to December 15, beating the previous record set in 2003, the Met Office said.

An "exceptional" amount of sunshine during the spring followed by long spells of clear skies during the summer helped set the record, the weather agency added.

It put the sunshine down to the "frequent influence of high pressure that reduced cloud cover and brought sunny skies for many".

The lengthy 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 previous record of 15.76C set in 2018.

Scientists have warned persistently that human-driven climate change is resulting in more frequent and intense weather events worldwide.

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".

It noted that the UK has generally become sunnier since the 1980s, though "the cause of this trend is uncertain".

"It may simply be down to natural variability, though reduced aerosols could be a factor," the agency added.

It noted that 2024 had been the dullest year for sunshine since 1998.

The Met Office began collecting sunshine data in 1910, while its temperature data dates back to 1884.

The previous record was 1,587 hours for the entire of 2003.

Britain's nationalised energy operator NESO said the sunshine had boosted the country's use of solar power in 2025.

Solar set a new record for total output on July 8, providing over 14 gigawatts of electricity for the first time -- enough to deliver more than 40 percent of Britain's needs at the time.

From April to August, solar power provided more than 10 percent of the country's energy needs, NESO added.

L.Nguyen--SFF