The weather in the United Kingdom is always a talking point across the country, and 2025 proved to be a year of remarkable contrasts and record-breaking events.
Already, 2025 has been crowned the sunniest year on record, with the potential for it to be the warmest on record too.
From powerful winter storms and widespread snowfall, to unprecedented spring sunshine and the hottest summer on record, the past twelve months have showcased the full spectrum of the UK’s climate.
The UK’s highly variable climate means that every year is different. In this review, we take a month-by-month look at the highlights and headline events that shaped the year in weather. Drawing on official Met Office data and reports, this article provides a comprehensive summary of the key moments, trends and statistics that defined 2025.
January
The year began with a notable cold spell, as wintry showers, ice, and frost swept across the UK. Following unsettled conditions over Hogmanay, colder air from the north brought widespread snow and ice.
Freezing rain posed a significant hazard in Wales and southern England, creating dangerous icy conditions. Alongside rain, snow and ice, these weather systems were also responsible for some significant temperature contrasts. Hurn, Dorset, recorded a daily minimum temperature of 10.2°C on 1 January 2025, followed by -6.7°C on 3rd – a difference of 16.9°C.
Temperatures remained below freezing across northern Scotland on 5 January, with, for example, a maximum of -2.3°C at Aviemore, Inverness-shire, but a high of 13.4°C at Benson, Oxfordshire and Heathrow, Greater London.
Amber weather warnings were issued for parts of England and Wales on 3 January, while further Amber warnings for snow issued on 8 January, with more to come following the arrival of Storm Éowyn.
Storm Éowyn brought destructive winds to northwestern parts of the UK from 24 January, with gusts exceeding 90mph in Northern Ireland and northern Wales. The Republic of Ireland experienced a record windspeed of 114mph at Mace Head. As the storm moved northeast, red, amber, and yellow warnings were issued for the northern half of the UK, highlighting the severity of the weather, with Storm Éowyn being named as the strongest winter storm in over a decade and for Northern Ireland the most significant since the Boxing Day Storm of 26 December 1998.
READ MORE: A look back at Storm Éowyn
February
February saw a shift to a colder easterly regime, with high pressure bringing low temperatures and an increased risk of snow and ice. The UK Health Security Agency issued a yellow cold-health alert for the southeast and parts of northern England. As the month progressed, milder air from the southwest replaced the cold, but this brought heavy rain and strong winds. Warnings for wind and rain for south and west Wales, southwest Scotland and eastern parts of Northern Ireland on 19 February highlighted the potential for travel disruption, dangerous coastal conditions, and possible power cuts.
March
March was marked by significant climate milestones. England enjoyed its sunniest March since records began in 1910, with 59% more sunshine than average. It was also a very dry month, with only Scotland recording more than half its average rainfall.
Most of the southern half of England and parts of south Wales recorded just a fifth of their long-term average rainfall, with most stations in this area having recorded less than 10mm of rainfall across the month, with less than 5mm in the driest areas.
Wales recorded its 4th driest March since the series began in 1836, with just 23.9mm of rainfall across the month. England too was especially dry, recording its 6th driest March and Northern Ireland its 9th. England again saw a north/south divide, with the south of the country recording far less rainfall than the north (16% and 38% respectively). Many counties too recorded a very dry March, with Norfolk, Suffolk, Devon, Cambridgeshire and Gwynedd all within their top three driest Marches since 1836.
April
April started in a similar vein to March, with high pressure bringing settled conditions to the UK and very little rain. A period of unsettled weather then pursued bringing heavy rain, before high pressure returned to close off the month, with sunny skies, and above-average temperatures. April 2025 was the sunniest April for the UK since records began, with 47% more sunshine hours than average. Temperatures were 1.7°C above average, making it the third warmest April since 1884. Rainfall was just over half the average for most areas. The Midlands, East Anglia, and parts of Scotland were particularly sunny, and England recorded its sunniest March and April on record.
The UK also 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.
May
Before the end of May, the UK had already recorded its sunniest spring on record, with 630 hours of sunshine from 1 March to 27 May. Scotland and Northern Ireland also set new records for spring sunshine. Spring 2025 was the warmest on record for mean temperature since 1884, surpassing the previous year’s record. May itself was the second sunniest on record for the UK, with above-average temperatures and continued dry conditions.
As a whole, Spring 2025 marked a historic milestone for the UK and all four nations, recording the warmest spring for mean temperature since records began in 1884, surpassing the previous record set in 2024.
The season unfolded with exceptional consistency, starting with a record-breaking sunny March that brought above-average temperatures and notably low rainfall.
Overall, the mean temperature of 9.5°C was 1.4°C above the long-term climatological average, making it the warmest spring since 1884. All four nations recorded their highest spring mean temperatures, with Northern Ireland and Scotland seeing increases of 1.6°C, surpassing long-standing records such as Northern Ireland’s previous benchmark from 1893
June
June brought unsettled weather at times, with the Met Office issuing yellow and amber warnings for thunderstorms across central and southern England and Wales on Friday 13 June. England experienced its warmest June on record, with a mean temperature of 16.9°C, while the UK as a whole had its second warmest June. Two heatwaves and historic highs were recorded, particularly in East Anglia, where temperatures were 3°C above average.
June’s first heatwave occurred during the third week of the month, with heatwave criteria being met in many areas across England and Wales. The temperatures then broke with thunderstorms and showers across large parts of the UK, before high temperatures returned to close out the month. This time though, the heat was more concentrated on the very far south and east of England.
The summer of 1976 remains one of the most notable in UK weather history, however, June 2025 was warmer than June 1976, with June 1976 now sitting as the fourth warmest on record for the UK and third warmest for England.
READ MORE: How does summer 2025 compare to summer 1976?
July
Heatwave conditions dominated much of July, with high pressure bringing widely hot, dry, and sunny weather. Temperatures peaked at 33–34°C, with the Midlands seeing the highest values. Thunderstorm warnings were issued as a warm and humid airmass moved across the country, leading to heavy downpours. Eastern Northern Ireland faced an amber severe weather warning for rain, with the risk of flash flooding. July was the UK’s fifth warmest on record, marking the sixth consecutive month of above-average temperatures.
July saw UK rainfall totalling 74.2mm, which was 90% of the long-term average, though regional differences were marked. Wales was the driest nation at just 59% of its average, while Scotland was the wettest at 99%. Conditions were particularly dry in the southwest, with Dorset recording only 44% of its usual rainfall, in stark contrast to Kent, which received 186% of its average July total. So far this year, June remains the only month with above-average rainfall for the UK.
Sunshine hours were notably high at 106% of the average, making July the fifth consecutive month of sunnier-than-usual conditions. Northern Scotland stood out with 18% more sunshine hours than normal. Alongside these patterns, the UK continued to experience a significant marine heatwave, with sea surface temperatures running about 1.5–2°C above the seasonal norm—an anomaly that underscores the unusual conditions shaping this summer.
August
August began with Storm Floris, which brought strong winds and heavy rain to northern parts of the UK. Amber and yellow warnings were issued, particularly for Scotland and the northern half of the UK. As the storm passed, high pressure and a southerly airflow led to a heatwave in central and southern England, with temperatures exceeding 30°C and peaking in the mid-30s in London.
Summer 2025 was officially the warmest on record for the UK, with a mean temperature of 16.10°C, surpassing the previous record from 2018. A Met Office attribution study found that such a hot summer is now 70 times more likely due to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
August brought highly variable conditions, including a named storm, a heatwave, thunderstorms, showers, and drought impacts. Rainfall across August was uneven, with Scotland recording 83% of its average compared to England’s notably low 42%, highlighting the contrasting weather patterns across the UK.
September
Unsettled conditions followed into September, with heavy rain and strong winds affecting southern areas. Temperatures remained around average, with highs of 20–22°C in the south and high teens further north. The month was notably wet, though not record-breaking. Met Office data showed the UK received 32% more rain than the long-term average, with widespread wetter conditions across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Among the nations, Wales was the wettest, recording 74% more rainfall than average, while England and Northern Ireland also saw significant increases at 49% and 65% above average respectively. Scotland was slightly drier in comparison but still recorded 2% more than its norm with 125.8mm of rain. At a local level, Cumbria experienced its fourth wettest September since records began in 1836 and its wettest since 1950, highlighting the stark regional contrasts during this unsettled start to autumn.
After the hottest summer on record, Autumn started off on a wet note.
READ MORE: Rainfall in the first half of September: A wet start, but the deficit remains
October
October started with the naming of Storm Amy, the first named storm of the 2025/26 season. Storm Amy brought very strong winds and heavy rain to northern and western areas, with amber warnings highlighting the risk of power cuts, travel disruption, and dangerous coastal conditions. Later in the month, Storm Benjamin tracked away from the UK, reducing its impacts. October was one of the dullest on record, with only 63.3 hours of sunshine, surpassed only by 1960 and 1968 since records began in 1910. Wales and Northern Ireland endured their second dullest October, with Northern Ireland particularly gloomy, seeing just 41% of its average sunshine hours. These figures highlight a month dominated by grey skies despite relatively mild temperatures and mixed rainfall patterns.
October was slightly warmer than average, with UK mean temperatures provisionally 0.7°C above the long-term norm. Scotland and Northern Ireland were marginally warmer, though conditions shifted through the month: starting above average, levelling mid-month, and ending below average. Rainfall was close to normal overall at 99% of the long-term average, but regional contrasts were marked. Northern Ireland was much wetter than usual, recording 136% of its average October rainfall, with County Fermanagh reaching 162%, while parts of England, such as Northamptonshire, were notably dry at just 60%.
November
Storm Claudia brought intense rain to England and Wales in November, with significant accumulations recorded in Wales. As the month progressed, colder conditions returned, with snow, ice, and overnight frosts for some areas. Amber and yellow warnings were issued for snow and ice, particularly in northern England and Scotland. November also saw the third wettest autumn on record for Northern Ireland and the tenth wettest for Wales. Autumn 2025 was the only season of the year to record above-average rainfall, with Northern Ireland and Wales seeing the most significant increases.
The UK recorded 20% more rainfall than the long-term meteorological average, but of the four nations, it was Northern Ireland and Wales that saw the most rainfall, with 39% and 37% above average respectively. Only 2000 and 2011 have seen wetter autumns in Northern Ireland since 1836.
England saw a clear north/south divide, with northern England recording 45% above average (its fifth wettest Autumn since 1836) and southern England 17% more than average.
December
December was characterised by unsettled weather, with low pressure bringing wet and windy conditions. As the month progressed, the potential for more disruptive weather increased, and further warnings were anticipated. Storm Bram was named, bringing strong winds and very heavy rain to northern and western parts of the UK, with amber warnings issued for these areas.
As 2025 draws to a close, the year is on course to be one of the UK’s warmest on record, potentially joining 2022 and 2023 in the top three. Up to 21 December, the mean temperature is tracking ahead of the previous record set in 2022, though a forecasted cold spell over Christmas and into 2026 means the final outcome remains uncertain. Remarkably, four of the past five years will feature in the top five warmest since records began in 1884, highlighting the rapid pace of climate change. All of the UK’s ten warmest years will have occurred in the last two decades, and if confirmed, 2025 will be only the second year on record with an annual mean temperature exceeding 10.0°C.
Looking back
The year 2025 was remarkable for its extreme and record-breaking weather events across the UK. The winter months were dominated by cold spells, snow, and powerful storms, while spring and summer brought unprecedented warmth and sunshine.
The UK experienced its sunniest spring and warmest summer on record, with multiple heatwaves and high temperatures. Autumn and early winter saw a return to wetter and more unsettled conditions, with several named storms and significant rainfall, particularly in Northern Ireland and Wales.
How do we know when records are broken? The answer lies in a Met Office dataset that's been quietly mapping our weather history for around the last two centuries.
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