The national weather agency recorded an average spring temperature of 9.5°C, a full 1.4°C higher than the seasonal norm, and the highest on record.
Britain has just emerged from its hottest and sunniest spring since records began, according to new data from the Met Office – a milestone celebrated by many but also viewed as a clear warning about the accelerating pace of climate change.
The national weather agency recorded an average spring temperature of 9.5°C, a full 1.4°C higher than the seasonal norm, and the highest on record. All four UK nations – England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland – reported their warmest springs ever recorded.
All four UK nations – England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland – reported their warmest springs ever recorded.
Alongside the heat came an exceptional amount of sunshine. With 653.3 hours of sunlight logged between March and May, this spring wasn’t just the brightest on record for the season – it was also the fourth sunniest of any season since UK records began in 1910. The sunshine tally surpassed the previous spring record, set in 2020, by more than 27 hours and was 43% above the seasonal average.
However, environmental experts are sounding the alarm over what these extremes signal for the future.
“This new Met Office data is a stark warning that climate change is no longer a distant threat – it’s here now and it needs immediate action,” The Guardian quoted Alec Hutchings, chief climate adviser at WWF as saying. “We are seeing our weather systems evolve in real-time.”
Spring in Britain has historically been known for its unpredictability – a mix of sunshine and showers, often requiring both umbrellas and sunglasses. But in 2024, persistent high-pressure systems parked over the UK – often originating from the Azores or mainland Europe – blocked the usual flow of moist Atlantic weather fronts, keeping clouds and rain at bay.
This long spell of settled weather came with downsides. The country experienced the sixth driest spring since rainfall records began in 1836. Just 128.2mm of rain fell over the three-month period – about 40% below the long-term average. While late-May showers brought limited relief, farmers and gardeners across the UK struggled with parched soil and dry crops. By mid-May, some parts of the UK were reporting their driest spring in over a century.
Unusually high temperatures were not limited to the land. Surrounding waters also experienced a marine heatwave, with sea surface temperatures in some areas reaching up to 4°C above average for April and May. These oceanic anomalies are particularly worrying, scientists say, as warming seas can severely disrupt marine ecosystems and worsen global climate instability.
Emily Carlisle, a scientist at the Met Office, said the data reflects an ongoing trend. “This spring shows some of the changes we’re seeing in our weather patterns, with more extreme conditions, including prolonged dry, sunny weather, becoming more frequent,” report quoted Carlisle as saying.
“The data clearly shows that recent decades have been warmer, sunnier, and often drier than the 20th-century average, although natural variation will continue to play a role in the UK’s weather.”
Eight of the UK’s ten warmest springs on record have now occurred since the year 2000. More strikingly, the three hottest have all come since 2017 – a trend that climate scientists say points to a rapidly changing environment underpinned by human-driven global warming.
While many welcomed the early summer-like conditions – with parks, beaches, and beer gardens full across the country – experts are urging the public and policymakers alike to see the broader implications.
“The feel-good factor of a sunny spring cannot distract from the fact that these extremes come with serious long-term costs,” said Hutchings. “From agricultural disruption to water scarcity and environmental degradation, the consequences of rising temperatures are mounting.”
As the UK gears up for what could be another scorching summer, pressure is growing on the government to accelerate climate resilience measures and take further steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Whether this record-breaking spring becomes the new normal or remains an outlier will depend largely on the actions taken now – by policymakers, businesses, and individuals alike. For now, though, Britain stands in the sunniest of springs, under the growing shadow of a warming world.
