Aberdeen, a city in north-east Scotland, has finally seen sunshine after an extended period of over three weeks without any sunny days, marking the end of the longest sunless spell since the Met Office started keeping records in 1957. Residents of the Granite City were greeted with approximately 30 minutes of sunshine on Thursday afternoon, with the last recorded sunshine occurring on January 21. This prolonged absence of sunlight followed several weeks of persistent rain that affected not only Aberdeen but much of the UK as well.

The weather in the region has been particularly harsh lately, with the Met Office reporting that Aboyne in Aberdeenshire received over 277mm of rain in January, which is about four times the monthly average. Furthermore, the first ten days of January were characterized by heavy snowfall in north-east Scotland. The weather conditions in early February have continued to be challenging, as the south-east of England faced significant rainfall, receiving nearly a third of its average monthly precipitation in just the first three days.

Looking forward, the wintry weather is expected to persist with a yellow warning issued for snow and ice across most of Scotland and northern England. The implications of these weather patterns extend beyond mere inconvenience, as they can impact agriculture, transport, and daily life for residents in the affected areas, highlighting the importance of ongoing weather monitoring and preparedness amidst changing climatic patterns.