JERSEY is in for a blast of potentially record-breaking hot weather.
Following the warmest September since records began in 1894, temperatures are set to soar again this weekend, giving Islanders a couple of bonus beach days in an unseasonably balmy autumn.
It follows a late heatwave in southern Europe which has seen highs of over 30°C in recent days.
Although meteorologists do not attribute individual weather events to climate change, the unusually warm weather will be seen by some as another example of the rapidly rising global temperatures.
Simone Phillips, duty forecaster at Jersey Met, said: “We have high pressure over us at the moment and that will shift towards eastern Europe and will pull up a lot of warm air from the Continent.
“We are looking at highs of about 24°C on Saturday and 25°C on Sunday, although it could be a couple of degrees either side of that.
“It looks like the temperatures will be staying in the 20s at least for the start of next week.”
If temperatures are higher than currently forecast this weekend, the temperature record for October – 26.9°C set on the first day of the month in 2011 – could be broken.
“There is a chance that we could break the record. I wouldn’t say it’s probable, but the chance is there,” said Ms Phillips.
Following the end of an often cool and wet meteorological summer on the last day of August, Jersey has seen days of warm and often sunny conditions, with last month’s average temperature of 19.6°C sitting well above the long-term September average of 16.6°C, and 0.8°C above the previous record set in 1949.
The extra warmth also helped to keep sea temperatures about 1°C higher than average, peaking at close to 20°C.
