2022 was Jersey’s hottest year on record

Sunday 01 January 2023

2022 was Jersey’s hottest year on record, with an average annual temperature for the year of 13.56°C.

Jersey Met today said the provisional average was the highest since official records began in 1894.

It follows a year which also saw the temperature hit a new record high of 37.9°C – on 18 July.

The 13.56°C average for the year exceeds the previous warmest year - 13.34°C in 2014 - by 0.22°C. Official temperatures have been recorded at the Maison St Louis Observatory for the past 129 years.

Head of Meteorology for Jersey Met, Paul Aked, said: “During 2022 we have seen a number of new temperature records, including the hottest June day - 33.2°C on 17 June; a new all-time highest daytime maximum - 37.9°C on 18 July;  a new high night-time minimum - 25.5°C on 19 July); the warmest summer on record, beating that of 1976, and we also recorded eight days reaching 30°C or more, which is more than any other year since records began. 

“Every month except for December has been warmer than average resulting in the overall warmest year on record.

“The sea temperature has also been remarkable, staying above average for each day throughout the year until 13 December, the longest period in a single year from 1 January that it has continually remained above average.

“The warmer year and extreme temperatures during the summer months are impacts that we can expect to see more often as a result of our climate changing.

Not every year will be as warm, but we expect to see more of the warmer temperatures over future years. 16 of the top 20 warmest years in Jersey have been in the last 30 years.”

As a result of the 2022 temperature, a new very dark red stripe will be added to the Jersey Climate Stripes at the Waterfront in the next few days. 

Using colour, the stripes show how the Island’s climate is warming over time, and act as a visual climate change reminder. Once the new stripe has been added, there will be a total of 129 stripes – each representing a year from 1894 through to 2022.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Hilary Jeune, said: “While I appreciate many Islanders certainly enjoy warm weather, the figures confirmed today are another stark reminder of the climate emergency we’re facing.

“2023 must be the year that we make big strides, through the policies in our Carbon Neutral Roadmap, to reduce the emissions which lead to these increased temperatures and the associated impacts on food security, biodiversity and sea level rises, for example.

“In the next few weeks, we’ll be announcing a series of schemes to support Islanders in the transition to lower-carbon forms of travel and heating. I’m committed to strongly pushing this to ensure Jersey remains on a pathway to net zero by 2050, in line with the internationally recognised targets of the Paris Agreement on climate change.”