Sunniest April on record for the UK

It’s been the sunniest April for the UK since records began in 1910, with 47% more sunshine hours than the long-term meteorological average, according to provisional Met Office figures. It was also the sunniest April on record for England, and the second sunniest for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Temperatures have also been 1.7°C above average, meaning the UK has recorded its third warmest April for mean temperature since the series began in 1884.  

Record-breaking sunshine in April

With an average of 228.9 hours of sunshine across the month, the UK has recorded its sunniest April since the series began in 1910. England too recorded its sunniest, with all other nations their second sunniest. This means that England recorded its sunniest March and April this year. The Midlands, East Anglia, North and West Scotland were all particularly sunny.

Above average temperatures this April  

The mean temperature for April was 9.6°C, which is 1.7°C above average for the UK, meaning it was the third warmest April for mean temperature since the series began in 1884. The warmest was 10.7°C recorded in 2011. All four nations recorded a mean temperature of at least 1.6°C above their respective long-term meteorological averages, with all UK nations recording their third warmest April for mean temperature since 1884 too.

The high mean temperatures were chiefly influenced by higher-than-average daytime temperatures, though it was also warmer than average overnight.

Met Office Meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: “High pressure sat over the UK for the first two weeks of April as well as the last week, with low pressure bringing some unsettled weather in the middle. This has meant temperatures have been above average, and rainfall, for most, has been below.

“The last week of April has closed out with temperatures well above the seasonal average, with station records for temperatures and sunshine broken.

“The reason for the high temperatures over the last week has not been because we’ve been importing warm air from the south, but because cloud-free skies have brought strong solar insolation, warming the air up day-by-day. The sun is as strong at this time of year as it is in August. Under high pressure, the air tends to sink, get compressed, and warm up. So, it’s fair to say that this latest period of very warm weather has been ‘home-grown’ and not brought in from anywhere else.”

The highest temperature recorded this April was 26.7C on 30 April Wisley in Surrey. Wednesday 30 April was also the equal-warmest day for mean temperature in the UK with 19 April 2018, in a daily series from 1960.          

Met Office Scientist Emily Carlisle said: “It is quite unusual for temperatures to hit 25°C fairly widely in April. The last time was in April 2018, and before that was April 2011.

“Met Office UK Climate Projections indicate that hot spells will become more frequent in our future climate, particularly over the southeast of the UK, with temperatures projected to rise in all seasons.”

The graph below shows the UK’s April mean temperature from 1884 to 2025. This shows the year-to-year variability of April temperatures, but a warming trend in alignment with human induced climate change.

Just over half the average rainfall for most

The UK saw just over half the rainfall it would usually expect in April, with 56% recorded. There was, however, much variation. Northern Ireland was the only nation to record above average rainfall (114%) due to heavy rain mid-month. Northern England was particularly dry, seeing 25% of its average rainfall compared to southern England, which saw 66%. Cornwall was the wettest county with 169% of its average, and Tyne and Wear was the driest with 7%, making it Tyne and Wear’s second driest April since the series began in 1836. Some stations in north-east England recorded less than 5mm of rain across the whole month.

Spring so far  

As we enter the last month of meteorological spring, we can see that spring so far has seen high temperatures and very low rainfall. March 2025 recorded record-breaking sunshine for England, as well as very low rainfall. The below graph shows that the UK has had its warmest first two months of spring (March and April) since the series began in 1960, though with a month still to go of the season, it’s too early to speculate how the whole of spring will shape up.

For the same period, we’ve seen very low rainfall, recording around half the amount of rainfall we would expect to by this point in the season.

What does the weather so far this spring mean for gardeners and growers?

With very warm, dry conditions for most so far this spring, we spoke to the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chief Horticulturalist Guy Barter: “While people have been enjoying the elevated temperatures lately, our gardens have too. Good growth now sets plants up for abundant crops and flowers, and also allows them to send out strong roots to counter any drought later in the summer. So, alongside the gorgeous spring flowers that are blooming in gardens across the country, below ground there is a lot of work going on, too.

“Some vegetables and flowers may arrive a little earlier than we usually expect – perhaps by a week or so – and this is reflected in all five RHS gardens where species like bearded iris, camassia, California lilac and ornamental hawthorns are already looking spectacular. While frost is still a possibility at this time of year (so keep your eyes on the forecasts, particularly when planting more tender crops), it is becoming less likely now and the next spring plants, such as the resplendent Wisteria, are less likely to be impacted. There are increasing clouds of purple in many of the RHS gardens thanks to the fabulous weather.”

Weather-related gardening tips are also available on the Met Office website, courtesy of RHS.