JERSEY’S continuing spring heatwave has left Islanders, visitors and even ice cream machines over-heating, with the record May temperature climbing by more than five degrees in the space of three days.
The Island’s hottest-ever temperature for this time of year – previously 28.9°C on 30 May 2003, was broken yesterday afternoon for the third straight day as the mercury climbed to 34.2°C. This followed highs of 30.1°C on Sunday and 31.9°C on Bank Holiday Monday.
An official heatwave is now in progress, after three consecutive days of 28°C or higher, and a fourth set for today.
Many of those with time off from school and work to coincide with the half-term holiday, as well as early-season visitors, were able to head to the beach and enjoy a bracing dip and cooling ice cream, although some vendors reported problems resulting from the effect of the heat on their equipment.
For many people, the most testing period during the ongoing heatwave has been overnight while trying to sleep.
A new May temperature landmark was set early on Monday morning with an overnight “low” of 19.1°C, but this was another record that had melted away within 24 hours, with the lowest overnight temperature during the early hours of yesterday being 21.6°C.
Annie Masterman, forecaster for Jersey Met, said so-called “tropical nights”, with the temperature remaining above 20°C, were unprecedented for the Island in May and quite rare at any point of the year.
She said: “There have only been 32 nights in that category, and this week’s was the earliest in the year we’ve seen this, beating the previous occurrence which was 19 June 2005.”
Parts of the UK have also experienced record temperatures for the time of year, with an overnight low of 21.3°C registered yesterday at Kenley in Surrey, followed by a peak of 35.0°C in parts of London yesterday afternoon – beating the previous maximum figure for the month by more than two degrees.
The heat has resulted from a large area of high pressure over central Europe, with south-east winds drawing hot air across from the continent.
Ms Masterman added: “Jersey is that little bit nearer the continent than the south-east of England, with only a relatively short stretch of water in between, so the air hasn’t cooled a great deal by the time it reaches us.
“It’s definitely abnormal to see record figures being broken by such large margins – while we can’t attribute specific heat events to climate change, we can see the change in 30-year average figures that show how much the temperature is rising.”
After a forecast high of 33°C today, Jersey Met has predicted slightly less hot conditions over the next three days, with the maximum temperature set to reach 29°C tomorrow, 25°C on Friday and a degree cooler on Saturday.
The wind direction is set to move to westerly tomorrow night, bringing a slightly cooler, maritime feel to the weather.
Although the weather was perfect for ice cream, this was not the case for ice cream machines.
Rebecca Le Quesne, who owns a popular ice cream van at Les Laveurs car park, opposite Jersey Pearl at the northern end of St Ouen’s Bay, said that she had had to ration her soft ice cream on Monday because it was too hot for the machines.
“Over 25 degrees and they start to struggle,” she said, adding that only ‘small’ and ‘medium sizes had been on the menu.
“Everyone is absolutely lovely but there were a few disappointed faces when they could not get a sundae,” she added.
It was a sentiment echoed by Nicola King, who has run the Liberation Square Kiosk for 23 years.
“The hot air from the machines and freezers mean that the kiosk is eight degrees hotter than outside,” she said. “Fortunately, we have scoop Jersey ice cream too, which gives the soft ice cream machine a break from time to time.”
Down at the beach, it was equally busy as people took to the water to cool off.
Max Wiltshire, co-founder and executive director of charity Healing Waves, said that his Le Braye-based team has been flat out, and had just returned to base after taking a family of holidaymakers staying at Maison des Landes out on an adapted board.
He said: “We took out people from RNRC Hasler [Royal Navy Recovery Centre Hasler, a specialist rehabilitation unit in Plymouth for wounded and sick military personnel] who had come to the Island with Holidays for Heroes for the Big Ride Out.
“They wanted to experience the best of what the Island had to offer, and they certainly did that.”
Jono Steventon, who has run his water sports business at the eastern end of St Brelade’s Bay for 29 years, said that the weather, half-term and tide times had combined to make it a perfect day at the beach, and he had been busy hiring out paddleboards, kayaks, sun loungers and umbrellas.
“Summer only really started on Thursday, but we’ve certainly been busy since then – long may it continue,” he said.
