UK enjoys sunniest February on record  

LONDON: Birds nested early, spring flowers bloomed before time and ice cream vans reported an unexpected rise in sales as England and Wales enjoyed the sunniest February since records began.

The Met Office confirmed on Friday that there were 106.1 hours of sun over the last four weeks, beating the previous record of 94.4 hours set in 1970. Despite one or two cold snaps, it has also been milder than usual.

Between December and February, the mean temperature was 4.8 Celsius (40.6 Fahrenheit), 1.1 degrees above the long-term average.

Wildlife experts say the sunny, mild weather has brought an early taste of spring for many and sent birds into a flap. "Many birds may have settled into their nests uncharacteristically early," said Claire Ferry, a spokeswoman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

The Woodland Trust said there were reports of frogspawn, butterflies and ladybirds appearing earlier than usual. The first tadpoles of the season were spotted on January 24 in Devon, while newts were recorded in Cheshire and Somerset.

Spring flowers such as daffodils, snowdrops and primroses popped up early, while hawthorn hedges came into leaf weeks well ahead of time.

Ice cream sellers at seaside resorts across the country said trade was well up for the time of year, with day-trippers making the most of the sunshine.

Spring does not officially start until the vernal equinox on March 20. Dr Nigel Taylor, curator at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in southwest London, said the milder weather made it harder to plan because plants are flowering early.

"There is no winter any more," he said in a newspaper interview earlier this month.


"Despite a cold snap before Christmas, it is nothing like years ago when I was younger."

After all that sunshine, February will end on a more familiar note with strong wind and rain in many areas and warnings of gales in parts of Scotland.