ABSTRACT. Detailed comparisons of measured and predicted plasma conditions at the divertor target plates and emission across the divertor legs have been carried out with the fluid edge code EDGE2-EIRENE for low-confinement mode plasmas in the JET ITER-like wall materials configuration. In low-recycling scrape-off layer plasma conditions, EDGE2D-EIRENE predicts the measured plasma conditions at the low field side plate, the total radiated power and deuterium Balmer line emission to within 20% WHEN power balance is assumed between the low field side midplane and the low field side divertor plate. In detached conditions the simulations predict 2–3 times lower radiated power and Balmer-a emission, despite achieving electron temperatures of 0.3–0.5eV at the target plates. In the high field side divertor, assumed at least partially detached in low-density upstream conditions the simulations predict Balmer and low charge state beryllium emission closer to the plate than observed experimentally indicating hotter plasma conditions in the simulations. Our studies show that radiation from beryllium and carbon cannot explain the observed radiation deficit.