London is the best holiday destination for those looking to take a warm staycation this year, as the county boasts the highest temperatures in the UK, new research shows.

The Sun For Your Spend analysis, conducted by holiday letting agency Island Cottage Holidays, uses Met Office data and Tourism Office costings to calculate which part of the UK offers the best value for money when it comes to sun hours and average temperatures.

Despite London being the hottest county, the research found that although the South West experiences the highest proportion of domestic overnight visitors when compared to any other region, the South East actually experiences more sunshine for a considerably lower price per visit.

It costs £225 on average per visit to the South West, compared to just £167 in the South East. For £58 less, holidaymakers can enjoy seven more hours of sunshine per year and temperatures up to 0.5°C higher each day.

The North of England ranks considerably lower for sun vs spend, with the North West providing 1,505 sun hours and maximum temperatures of 13.9°C for £203, while the North East offers 1,498 hours of sun and 13.3°C for £200.

Scotland offers the worst return on investment for sun hours at just 1,406, while London is the hottest city in the UK with annual average temperatures of up to 15.5°C – higher than most other cities in Europe. Unsurprisingly, it’s almost the most expensive destination at £252 per visit.

Regional ranking – most sunshine for the price

South East
East of England
East Midlands
Yorkshire and the Humber
South West
West Midlands
London
Wales
North West
North East
Scotland

Moderate sun exposure is vital in cloudy climates like the UK in order for us to take in vitamin D, which is essential to keep bones healthy, regulate calcium and maintain a strong immune system.

For those who spend a lot of time indoors, or who fall into at-risk groups as outlined by the government, maintaining healthy levels of vitamin D is important all year round. Saadia Noorani, a registered nutritionist, says: “Vitamin D supplementation is also recommended for adults especially during the autumn and winter months.

“That’s because while you can get vitamin D from some foods (e.g. eggs, fish), most of our vitamin D is created by our body after exposure to sunlight – and there isn’t much sunshine in the UK during the winter months.”

With temperatures on track to exceed 30C in early July across Europe and particularly warm weather is anticipated in the UK around mid July, especially in the South of England, it’s crucial that Brits take preventative measures to reduce the risk of sun damage.