June 02, 2020

Anna Murray 

According to meteorologists in the UK, May 2020 has been the sunniest calendar month on record with 266 hours of sunshine surpassing the previous record in June 1957 of 265 hours.

Scientists suspect man-made climate change may be implicated for the record-breaking sunshine in May. The main reason for the dry and sunny weather is the extended period of high pressure suppressing the development of clouds and rainfall over the UK. Thus it allows plenty of sunshine to reach the surface. Similar weather conditions are reportedly extending across central Europe.

In the UK summer usually begins on June 1 and will last until August 31, according to meteorological standards. UK weather forecasts predict summer 2020 could be the hottest on record as well.