2025 among warmest years on record at Ronaldsway, new Met Office report shows

Spring sunshine and record summer warmth helped make last year the second warmest recorded

The Isle of Man experienced one of its warmest years on record in 2025, with temperatures averaging well above long-term norms, according to the latest annual report from Ronaldsway Met Office.

The report shows the average 24-hour mean temperature for the year reached 11.27°C, placing 2025 as the second warmest year since records began in 1947, behind only 2023.

That figure is 0.87°C above the 1991-2020 climate average.

Meteorologists say the warmth was due to consistency rather than extreme heat, with persistently mild conditions - particularly overnight - playing a significant role.

The most striking period of the year was spring, which the report describes as the warmest and sunniest on record at Ronaldsway, as well as the third driest.

March saw just 13 millimetres of rainfall, making it the driest March recorded at the site since 1953. May went on to become both the warmest and sunniest May on record.

While the dry, settled conditions were welcomed by many, the report notes they raised concerns for agriculture due to prolonged low rainfall.

Summer continued the trend, with June, July and August combining to make the warmest summer on record at Ronaldsway. The average 24-hour mean temperature across the three months reached 16°C, narrowly exceeding the previous record set in 1995.

The warmest day of the year occurred on 12 July, when temperatures reached 26.7°C, while there were 31 days where temperatures exceeded 20°C.

According to the report, unusually warm sea temperatures helped limit overnight cooling, contributing to the sustained warmth.

The weather pattern shifted in autumn, which became wet and unsettled, with September and November recording particularly high rainfall totals. Despite the change, temperatures remained close to or above seasonal averages.

Overall rainfall for the year totalled 920.6 millimetres - around four percent above the long-term average. Sunshine levels were also higher than usual, with 1,762 hours recorded - more than 100 hours above average - making 2025 the eighth sunniest year on record at Ronaldsway.

However, October stood out for different reasons, becoming the dullest October ever recorded, with just 50.8 hours of sunshine.

The year also included several notable weather events, most significantly Storm Éowyn in late January. The storm brought gusts of up to 70 knots (80mph), causing widespread disruption and damage, and prompting a rare red weather warning.

Two further named storms, Amy in October and Bram in December, also affected the Island.

However, average wind speeds across the year remained close to normal.

The report places 2025 within a broader pattern of rising temperatures, noting that all of the 10 warmest years recorded at Ronaldsway have occurred since 2000.

It also highlights a continued decline in frost days, with just six air frosts recorded during the year.