A WET opening month of 2026 saw 80% more rainfall than average fall in St Helier, while February has started off on the same, rather damp, foot.
While just two dry days have been recorded so far this year by Jersey Met, the forecasting service has predicted some slightly drier conditions in the coming days.
Figures released yesterday showed that 170.7 millimetres of rain were recorded at the Maison St Louis Observatory last month. This made it the eighth wettest January at the site since records began in 1894, and compared with an average figure over the past 30 years of 95.2mm.
It was even wetter in the north of the Island, with a reading of 204.8mm at Howard Davis Farm in Trinity – the site’s fifth-wettest January since 1932.
The forecaster also noted that January was slightly warmer and sunnier than usual, with an average temperature of 7.4°C and a sunshine tally of 78.6 hours – compared with the 30-year average figures of 7°C and 74 hours.
February’s rainfall also looks set to finish above the average mark for the month of 78.4mm. By 9am yesterday, 59.5mm had been recorded, supplemented by further showers later in the day.
Tuesday afternoon was especially wet, Jersey wet noted, with 7.8mm falling between 4 and 5pm, including 4.7mm in the ten-minute spell leading up to 5pm, and some localised flooding.
The only entirely dry days so far this year, based on the 24-hour reading taken at 9am the next day, have been 3 February and 10 January, the forecaster noted, while “traces” of rain, but no measurable total, were recorded for 27 and 28 January.
Focusing on the next few days, forecaster Martin Nduta predicted a gradual change to the recent wet, mild conditions.
Rainfall today should be restricted to isolated outbreaks during the day, he said, and some further showers during the early hours of Friday.
Tomorrow is set to be mainly dry during the day, with a maximum of 9°C, while Saturday will be significantly cooler, Mr Nduta added, with the start of the weekend seeing winds switching round to the north, a day-time high of just 6°C and “generally very dry” conditions.
