A woman ditched the UK to move to Spain instead – and she’s noticed one huge benefit.

Instead of shivering her way through a brutal British winter, she’s been basking in the sunshine in Madrid. Highlighting just how idyllic her days can be, the expat called Anna posted a video onto TikTok.

In the short clip, she gushes: “This is why I moved to Spain. For this reason. It’s February, I’m sitting in the park soaking up the sun, I’m reading… If I were in England, I don’t know what I’d be doing. I’d probably be crying over the colour of the sky and the rain. What a wonderful life! I love Spain.”

While getting sunshine in winter is a real treat, the weather doesn’t always go in Anna’s favour. By the time summer rolls around, things can get a little sticky.

She added: “I must make the most of it because I think these months are the best. When June, July and August arrive in Madrid, it’s like hell with the heat. But spring… there’s nothing better!”

Anna’s video garnered more than 1,300 likes – and plenty of people took the time to leave their thoughts in the comments section too. One wrote: “Come to Valencia – 20 degrees almost all year round. 300 days of sunshine a year.”

Another said: “These are the freeing moments of life.” And a third aded: “Sun in winter is my passion.”

Anna’s case is definitely not unusual. According to official data, Spain has the highest number of British residents in Europe, with more than 300,000 people registered. The reasons are numerous, but weather and quality of life top the list of reasons why so many expats choose Spain.

In Central Spain, including Madrid where Anna lives, there are average highs of 10–15°C in February. It gets even hotter in the South, where people in Andalusia and the Mediterranean coast can experience highs of 20C.

Comparatively, it’s felt like a very long winter here in the UK. We’ve had everything from ice to snow and storms, which isn’t ideal if you prefer the heat.

Obviously, it’s not always sunny in Spain though. Everywhere gets a bit chilly during winter – especially Northern Spain when it’s common to have cloudy and rainy days in February. Some mountainous areas get snow too.