Met Office
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Sunny and cool January kicks off the new year
A look back on January 2025's provisional weather and climate statistics.
January 2025 was the fifth sunniest on record for the UK, though temperatures were subdued compared to average, according to provisional Met Office statistics.
The month had a typical mix of UK winter weather conditions, with rain, snow and a named storm, but also some clear, crisp winter sunshine, especially for those in the north.
Sun shines for many
With an average of 61.8 hours of sunshine in January 2025, the UK saw 30% more sunshine than the long-term average for the month. This was enough to put it as the fifth sunniest January on record in a series which dates back to 1910. Interestingly, four of the five sunniest Januarys have occurred in the 21st century.
Those in the north led the way in terms of sunshine, though all UK nations saw more sunshine than their respective long-term average. Scotland had its sunniest January since 2001 with 49.4 sunshine hours. This is provisionally its fourth sunniest on record, with 1959 still Scotland’s sunniest January.
Met Office Scientist Emily Carlisle yesterday said:
“While many will remember the impactful wet and windy weather from Storm Éowyn, it’s a mark of how unusually bright other days were that January 2025 will go down as one of the sunniest on record for the UK.
“We chiefly saw this as a result of frequent high pressure over the UK, bringing clear skies for many but also below average temperatures with little cloud to trap any warmth near the surface.”
Click here for the full press release
Original article link: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2025/sunny-and-cool-january-kicks-off-the-new-year