The UK's 'sunniest' town with a beach so beautiful you 'won't believe' it's in England

The UK has officially experienced its sunniest spring on record, according to provisional figures that have just been released by the . Between March 1 and May 27, the country enjoyed 630 hours of sunshine, surpassing the previous record of 626 hours set five years ago, back in spring 2020. Topping the sunshine charts, however, is none other than Shanklin, on the which has been crowned the place in the entire of the UK.

Overlooking the English Channel, the stunning seaside town recorded a staggering 248 hours of sunshine, which is nearly seven hours more than Southend-on-Sea, which came in second place with 241 hours, according to the Met Office. Shanklin is known for its exceptional microclimate and beautiful beach, historic Old Village, and the unique Shanklin Chine, the island's oldest attraction.

Ian Lisk, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, told : "It's all to do with our old friend, the jet stream.

"Weather typically moves across the UK from west to east, but the north-south amplification of the jet stream has enabled areas of high pressure to hang around in the vicinity of the UK.

"This means that our share of the more typical unsettled weather has been deflected away from us."

Last year, travel journalist Simon Calder from the Independent also reportedly analysed three decades of Met Office data and discovered that the Isle of Wight enjoys an average of over five hours of sunshine per day, more than anywhere else in the UK.

Shanklin Beach is known for its wide stretch of golden sand backed by a traditional esplanade lined with stunning colourful beach huts, amusement arcades and crazy golf courses, along with a scenic backdrop of towering cliffs and the historic Fisherman's Cottage pub.

Peter Locke wrote on TripAdvisor: "YOU WOULDNT KNOW IT'S ENGLAND. My little nephew had the best day out.

"Beautiful beach. Water is the most lovely blue."

Someone else said: "Shanklin Beach is wonderful, the sand is clean, the sea is blue, the pubs are very welcoming, the fish and chip shop serves great food. Best beach by far on the island, car parking can get busy but worth it."

Another TripAdvisor user from Oxford said: "Shanklin Beach is one of the best beaches on the Isle of Wight. It has lots of bars, pubs and restaurants nearby and stunning views. There is also plenty of parking on the seafront. The town is within walking distance of the beach."

Here is the full list of the 10 sunniest places in the UK over the last month, according to the Met Office:

Shanklin, Isle of Wight - 248.08

Southend-on-Sea, Essex - 241.2

Hastings, East Sussex - 236.65

Weymouth, Dorset - 235.44

Eastbourne, East Sussex - 235.06

Bognor Regis, West Sussex - 234.96

Brighton, East Sussex - 230.00

Newquay, Cornwall - 224.23

Bournemouth, Dorset - 222.72

Swanage, Dorset - 222.04