The mural, based on data from Jersey Met, shows whether the individual years from 1894 to 2019 were colder (blue) or hotter (red) than the 30-year average temperature between 1971 and 2000.
The sea of blue on the left and the almost unbroken reds on the other side demonstrate the seemingly runaway rise in temperatures between the late 1800s to the modern day.
The chart on which the mural is based was featured on the front page of the JEP on 9 December last year, coincidently on the same day the paper published a letter to the editor from Mr Rolls about climate change.
He then agreed to turn the graph into a piece of art after being contacted by Jersey Met’s principal meteorologist, John Searson.
Mr Rolls, who spent three weeks painting the mural on a wall next to the Underpass, said: ‘What is great is that it is very dramatic and very easy to understand, especially as the years are at the bottom of each line.
‘So anyone looking at it will know it is about something getting warmer and it is in a very accessible place, including, significantly, for motorists.
‘It is here to stay and I have left space at the end for future years to be painted.’
Climate-stripe charts were first created by Professor Ed Hawkins, from the University of Reading, and have been turned into public artworks in various towns and cities in Europe.
Jersey’s mural was unveiled yesterday by Assistant Environment Minister Gregory Guida.
‘This mural reminds us of the impact of climate change on our island and is being unveiled just before World Environment Day.
‘I hope that it will help Islanders to both understand the problem of climate change and think about how we can all help it to be addressed,’ he said.
‘During the Covid-19 pandemic many Islanders have found ways to reduce carbon emissions by walking and cycling more. We should celebrate that fact and march on towards our goal to become carbon neutral by 2030,’ he added.
The artwork was unveiled a day after Jersey Met revealed that this spring – March, April and May – was the warmest and sunniest on record.
The average temperature was 12.5°C, well above the long-term average of 10.8°C, and there was a total of 832.7 hours of sunshine, compared to a long-term average of 584.7.
And last month was the sunniest May on record and the third-sunniest calendar month since records began. It was also the equal-fourth warmest and was exceptionally dry, with a total of 25 rain-free days.
