2018 among sunniest and hottest years on record in East Anglia

2018 was one of the hottest years on record in East Anglia and it's also likely to be the sunniest. Credit: ITV News Anglia

Despite the "Beast from the East" in February and March 2018, East Anglia has enjoyed one of its hottest years and it's likely to be the sunniest on record.

December needed to reach only an average sunshine total to break the annual sunshine record for East Anglia.

The January to November sunshine total was 1,818 hours and the annual record set in 2003 was 1,865 hours.

When all the weather data is analysed, the December sunshine total is expected to top 60 hours making the annual sunshine total close to 1,880 hours - the most ever since regional records started in 1929.

  • Click below to watch of video of the weather in the Anglia region in the first half of 2018

It has been a remarkable year of weather in the Anglia region in 2018 - blowing both hot and cold.

There was the Beast from the East which brought the deepest snow in some parts of East Anglia for 30 years.

There was also an extraordinary summer heatwave and drought.

The summer months of June, July and August were the joint hottest since records started in 1910.

It is likely that 2018 will be one of the top five hottest ever recorded in the region.

  • Click to watch a video of the weather in the Anglia region during the second half of 2018

Highlights of the weather in the Anglia region in 2018

  • February - the coldest in East Anglia was 22 years

  • March - the wettest for a decade

  • April - the dullest for 20 years

  • May - second sunniest on record after 1989

  • June - the driest since 1962

  • July - the sunniest on record and the second hottest

  • October - joint sunniest on record with 1959