Spring 2020 - The Sunniest Spring on Record

It has been the sunniest Spring on record for the UK and all the home nations and the driest May on record in England according to figures from the Met Office.

May also claimed the record for the sunniest month we have ever recorded.

626 hours of sunshine were recorded for the UK, much higher than the previous record of 555 hours 1948.

Interestingly the sunshine hours also exceed the sunshine amount for most summer seasons, with only three summers being sunnier (1976, 1995, and 1989).

Weather Presenter Ross Hutchinson has been looking at the figures.

It was also the driest May in England and second driest in Wales with just 17% of the average rainfall for May.

For spring as a whole, it was the fifth driest spring for the UK overall, but some counties in north east England and eastern Scotland have recorded their driest spring since records began in 1862.