Sun seekers in London looking to escape damp and bleary weather have been offered an ideal antidote thanks to a new Easter sun index, which ranks the most reliably sunny places within easy reach of the capital.
It has rained somewhere in the UK for over 50 consecutive days so far in 2026, with rainfall for January approximately 117% of the 1991–2020 average. Some places, such as Northern Ireland, saw some of the wettest starts to the year since the late nineteenth century as Brits battle relentless downpours and stubborn grey skies.
With the Easter break around the corner, a new index has been released which has used climate data from the last 25 years to rank destinations by the percentage of predominantly sunny and dry days in April, with Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt topping the list followed by Sal in Cape Verde.
The index also displays average temperature highs, hours of sunshine per day, and the chance of rain.
Both Sharm El Sheikh and Sal have come out as top hitters on the list, which was compiled by easyJet Holidays, boasting around a 100% reliability rate for sunny and dry days during the Easter break. The former, Egypt’s purpose-built family resort city, has been crowned with the number one spot for its highs between 28C and 30C, and between 10 and 11 hours of sunshine per day.
Though the numbers are tight between the top two, if rain – or lack thereof – is the priority, data has it that the rain in Sal stays between 0% and 5%.
Hurghada in Egypt, located practically opposite to Sharm El Sheikh, also made the index. With high temperatures of 28C and a dry sun reliability score of 95-98%, Hurghada offers optimum conditions for snorkelling, as well as exploring its strong range of water parks.
Best Chances of Sun – UK Easter Holidays 2026
Rank
Destination
Avg High Temp(°C)
Sunshine (hrs/day)
Est. % Mainly Sunny Dry Days
Chance of Rain per Day
Package holiday starting price
Activities
1
Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
28–30
10–11
98–100%
<5%
£659
Glass-bottom boat trips, colourful reef snorkelling, desert safaris, water parks
2
Sal (Santa Maria), Cape Verde
~25
~9
95–100%
0–5%
£850
Salt flats, boat trips, long sandy beaches
3
Gran Canaria (South)
~22
8–10
~95%
5–15%
£429
Desert-style sand dunes and water parks
4
Tenerife South
22–23
8–11
90–93%
7–10%
£439
Cable car rides and lunar landscapes at Mount Teide National Park
5
Fuerteventura (Spain)
22–23
8-9
90%
10–15%
£499
Sand dunes in Corralejo Natural Park and volcanic landscapes, and boat trips to nearby Lobos Island
6
Hurghada, Egypt
~28
~10
95–98%
<10%
£699
Snorkelling trips through Red Sea coral reefs, glass bottom boat rides, water parks
7
Marrakech, Morocco
26–27
~9–10
90–95%
~10%
£599
Exploring the souks and Medina, Jemaa el-Fnaa Square, with storytellers, day trips to Atlas Mountains
8
Agadir, Morocco
23–24
~9
90–93%
10–15%
£429
Surfing wide sandy beaches
9
Algarve (Faro), Portugal
20–22
7–8
85–88%
12–18%
£389
Coastal walks and pirate-ship tours, boat trips into sea caves such as Benagil
10
Sicily (Catania/Palermo)
20–23
8–9
80–87%
15–20%
£529
Excursions to Mount Etna for crater views and easy hikes, Ancient Greek temples at Agrigento, and gelato-filled beach days
Ranking in third is Gran Canaria, where the chance of rain per day ranges from 5% to 15%, and Tenerife, which bathes in 23C temperatures as the frost starts to lift back in the UK.
Not far geographically from the Canaries, the Moroccan coast can be found. Home to surf town Agadir, travellers can expect sandy beaches and temperatures of 24C.
And only three hours down the road from coastal Agadir is the country’s top tourist destination – Marrakech. At this time of year, sun reliability without rain is between 90% to 95% with highs of 27C – perfect weather for riad relaxing before exploring the never-ending souks, selling jewellery, leather and spices.
For beach-loving families and sunshine-seeking parents, Fuerteventura also ranks highly in the index. With around 90% of its April days bringing reliable sunshine and temperatures hovering around 22–23°C, visitors can explore the vast sand dunes of Corralejo Natural Park, take boat trips to nearby Lobos Island, and enjoy long stretches of golden Atlantic beaches.
Destinations such as Portugal’s ever-popular Algarve and Sicily off the Southern coast of Italy also provide the perfect holiday escape, where the sun-reliability index percentage sits firmly in the 80s.
With a sun reliability score of 85-88%, Faro in the Algarve, provides perfect conditions for warm coastal walks in temperatures of 22C. Similarly, easy hikes and crater views of Mount Etna are perfect pastimes in Sicily, where travellers can enjoy 8-9 hours of sunshine a day.
Stuart Wright, Customer Director at easyJet Holidays said: “After an exceptionally wet and grey start to 2026 we know many of our customers are more eager than ever to make the most of April’s Easter break and enjoy some much-needed sunshine.
“easyJet holidays offers great-value packages across a wide range of beach destinations, which is why we’ve launched our new sun-reliability index to give customers extra reassurance when choosing where to go, helping them swap grey skies for blue as part of a brilliant holiday experience.”
Customers can visit easyJet holidays website to book their sun-soaked Easter getaway. All easyJet holidays packages include flights, hotel, and 23kg luggage and transfers on beach holidays, and are covered by its Ultimate Flexibility, offering freedom to change a booking, a refund guarantee, and best price guarantee.
