LESS than a month after a series of weather records were broken during an unprecedented heatwave, temperatures are set to soar in Jersey this weekend.

Those taking part in the TMF Group Island Walk tomorrow are likely to encounter a high of 26°C during the afternoon, while the mercury is set to go significantly higher on both Sunday and Monday.

The prospect of something close to a heatwave – officially defined by three consecutive days with highs of at least 28°C – comes after the hottest spring weather ever seen in Jersey during the final week of May.

Last month’s heatwave, which included a five-day stretch of maximum readings beyond 30°C, included a peak of 34.2°C on Tuesday 26, smashing the May record by 5°C and surpassing the all-time high for June as well. An overnight low of 22°C the following day was the Island’s fifth-warmest night on record, while the average temperature across the entire month was 16.5°C, 0.7°C warmer than the previous record for May, set in 2008.

Enzo Davy, forecaster at Jersey Met, said while temperatures were likely to be held in check today by fog and mist, the situation was set to change going into the weekend.

“We’ve had warmer, humid air over the top of us, but once the fog and clouds clear then we’ll be cooking in the sun,” he said. “It looks like the low-30s for Sunday and Monday, and perhaps even a bit higher than that.”

Mr Davy said that the wind direction was liable to change on Monday, bringing the prospect of thundery showers to the UK. Whether the unsettled weather would reach Jersey at this stage was still not clear, he added.

A total of approaching 2,000 people are set to take part in the annual Island Walk tomorrow. The event will start at Elizabeth Terminal at 3am, with a temperature of around 14°C at the time.

Tomorrow’s afternoon high is forecast to reach 26°C – less hot than last year, when the temperature nudged just beyond 32°C on Saturday 21 June during a three-day heatwave. Winds forecast to be around force 3 will bring little respite from the warmth.

Public Health officials issued advice to walkers last year about staying hydrated and wearing loose clothing and a hat.