JERSEY sweltered in searing heat across the long weekend, with a series of weather records broken and the forecast showing little sign of any let-up until Thursday.
The record for the Island’s hottest-ever May temperature rose was broken by 1.2°C on Sunday as a high of 30.1°C was registered; this mark was beaten by a significant margin again yesterday afternoon as the mercury came close to 32°C.
Islanders have been feeling the heat at all times of day and night, with Jersey Met confirming that the overnight “low” temperature of 19.1°C during the early hours of yesterday had been another record, breaking the previous mark for May, set in 1995.
Sunday’s high was also the earliest point of the year that a temperature above 30°C had been recorded, with the previous earliest date for this threshold being 6 June 2003.
An official Island heatwave – defined by the forecaster as three consecutive days with maximums of at least 28°C – is set to become reality today, when it is predicted the temperature will reach 34°C, followed by another warm night, with the mercury remaining above 20°C throughout.
After a slight drop tomorrow, with the forecast showing a high of 32°C and the chance of thundery showers, Jersey Met has forecast daytime highs of 26°C and 28°C for Thursday and Friday.
With many Islanders looking to cool off in the sea over the long weekend, the Environment Department moved to provide reassurance after routine testing for bacteria carried out last week led to a “poor” rating for four of 16 locations monitored weekly: Victoria Pool and Havre des Pas in St Helier, Long Beach at Grouville and Plémont in St Ouen.
Officials said there were unlikely to be ongoing concerns, with such results commonly reported after heavy rainfall of the type witnessed on Sunday 17 and Monday 18 May. The next round of scheduled testing is set to be carried out today and tomorrow.
Hot weather advice was issued by Public Health Officials on Friday, with Islanders recommended to cool off indoors during the hottest time of day, when the UV is at its strongest, leaving strenuous activities for later in the day when it is cooler, drinking plenty of water, avoiding coffee and alcohol and using sun cream and hats when outside.
An estimated 500 bikers braved the heat on Sunday morning to take part in the annual Big Ride Out, which saw a procession of motorbikes being ridden across the Island from St Catherine’s Breakwater to the Watersplash at St Ouen’s Bay, raising money for the charity Holidays for Heroes.
A spokesperson for the event reported no problems as a result of the heat, with high demand for cold drinks at the finish as participants were finally able to remove helmets and leather jackets.
