When you think about the UK, the weather is probably not something you're too hopeful for, but there are 10 places, and one in particular, that experience the most amount of sunshine.
Ahead of the May 2024 bank holiday weekend, a weather analyst at the Met Office, Simon Calder, has 'trawled through 30 years of Met Office figures' to reveal the sunniest places in the UK.
The Met Office data revealed that the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England, is the sunniest place in the UK, and the only UK destination that enjoys an average of more than five hours of sunshine a day. With an average of 5 hours and 8 minutes of sunshine a day, the seaside town of Shanklin in particular is the sunniest place on the Isle of Wight.
Top 10 Sunniest Counties
- Isle of Wight – 5 hours 8 minutes of sunshine a day
- Kent – 4 hours 47 minutes of sunshine a day
- East Sussex – 4 hours 46 minutes of sunshine a day
- West Sussex – 4 hours 42 minutes of sunshine a day
- Essex – 4 hours 35 minutes of sunshine a day
- Dorset – 4 hours 34 minutes of sunshine a day
- Suffolk – 4 hours 34 minutes of sunshine a day
- Hampshire – 4 hours 32 minutes of sunshine a day
- Surrey – 4 hours 29 minutes of sunshine a day
- Cornwall – 4 hours 29 minutes of sunshine a day
Information provided by the Met Office.
Revealed: the sunniest places in the UK.
— Simon Calder (@SimonCalder) May 2, 2024
I've trawled through 30 years of @metoffice figures to find the top sun spots.
Well ahead: Isle of Wight.
South Glamorgan best in Wales – go Barrybados.
Scotland and Northern Ireland: leave those sunglasses at home.https://t.co/kvhr2SqmuF
A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “While these long-term average figures can give an indication on where, on average, sees sunny skies in the UK in the year, it’s important to remember that there’s much variability year-to-year for cloud cover across different places in the UK.
“The UK’s weather patterns are often dictated by the position of the jet stream, a ribbon of air high up in the atmosphere. Subtle difference in its position can influence the dominant weather for the UK, bringing sunshine for some or cloud and rain for others.
“Sunshine doesn’t always mean warm conditions as well, as much depends on the region the air is coming from when it comes to high temperatures. Staying up to date with the forecast is the best advice for those planning a weekend away.”
