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Monthly Weather Summary, June 2017

National Meteorological Service of Belize

JUNE IS THE FIRST MONTH OF THE RAINY SEASON IN BELIZE. JUNE 2017 BEGAN WITH GENERALLY FAIR CONDITIONS PREVAILING. A STRONG SOUTH-EASTERLY AIRFLOW PREVAILED AND HIGH DAY-TIME AND NIGHT- TIME TEMPERATURES WERE RECORDED AROUND THE COUNTRY. THIS WAS THE GENERAL TREND FOR THE FIRST FIVE DAYS, EXCEPT THAT THE SOUTH AND INLAND AREAS EXPERIENCED A FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS.

BETWEEN THE FIFTH AND NINTH, THE COUNTRY EXPERIENCED SHOWER, RAIN AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITIES WHICH ALL ORIGINATED INLAND AND SPREAD TO COASTAL AREAS. A HIGH CENTER AT 200MB MOVED OVER THE AREA ON THE TENTH AND ENHANCED LOW LEVEL INSTABILITY, AT WHICH POINT, HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT WAS ALSO PRESENT. HENCE, SHOWERS, THUNDERSTORMS AND WIDE-SPREAD RAIN DAMPENED THE COUNTRY THROUGH TO THE SIXTEENTH.

ON THE SEVENTEENTH, A BROAD TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPED OVER THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN. THIS PRODUCED SHOWERS, RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS AROUND THE COUNTRY FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. ON THE NINETEENTH , THE SYSTEM WAS DECLARED AS POTENTIAL TROPICAL CYCLONE III. A THIS TIME AN ELONGATED TROUGH STRETCHED FROM A FEW HUNDRED MILES SOUTH, SOUTH-EAST OF LOUISIANA TO HONDURAS. THE BIRTH OF TROPICAL STORM CINDY WAS DECLARED ON THE TWENTIETH. THE ASSOCIATED TROUGH CONTINUED TO SUPPORT SHOWERS, RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS BELIZE , THROUGH TO THE TWENTY-SECOND. THE COUNTRY GOT A BREAK ON THE TWENTY-THIRD WITH GENERALLY FAIR WEATHER .

ON THE TWENTY-FOURTH A TROPICAL WAVE IN THE AREA SUPPORTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE CAYO DISTRICT IN THE AFTERNOON, LASTING ALMOST TWO TO THREE HOURS. THE RESULT WAS LOCALIZED FLOODING IN SAN IGNACIO TOWN AND SURROUNDING AREAS.

A FEW SHOWERS AFFECTED PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ON THE TWENTY-FIFTH AND CONTINUED SO THROUGH TO THE END OF THE MONTH, AS THREE MORE TROPICAL WAVES CROSSED THE COUNTRY DURING THIS PERIOD.

IN CONCLUSION, JUNE 2017 WAS A RAINY PERIOD. HIGH DAY-TIME AND NIGHT-TIME TEMPERATURES WERE ALSO RECORDED. FOUR TROPICAL WAVES CROSSED THE COUNTRY, BUT ONLY THREE SUPPORTED RAINFALL ACTIVITY. THE BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE, TURNED TROPICAL CINDY WAS THE MAIN PRODUCER OF RAINFALL DURING THIS MONTH. DATA SHOWS THAT RAINFALL AMOUNTS WERE ABOVE THE NORMAL AT A FEW STATIONS, WHILE NIGHT-TIME TEMPERATURES WERE ABOVE AVERAGE.

Monthly Rainfall Summary, July 2017

National Meteorological Service of Belize

MOIST AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING SATURDAY 1ST AND SUNDAY 2ND. A GUSTY EAST-SOUTHEASTERLY AIRFLOW PREVAILED AT THE SURFACE AND LOW LEVELS WHILE A TROPICAL UPPER TROPOSPHERIC TROUGH EXTENDED TO A LOW OVER YUCATAN AND CONTINUED SOUTH TO GUATEMALA. A TROPICAL WAVE CROSSED THE COUNTRY OVERNIGHT AND A DIVERGENT SOUTH-WESTERLY UPPER LEVEL FLOW SUPPORTED DEVELOPMENT OF AN MCS OVER THE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY WITH PUNTA GORDA RECORDING 125MM OF RAINFALL BY DAYBREAK. A FEW SHOWERS CONTINUED TO AFFECT THE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY AS THE TROPICAL WAVE MOVED AWAY WHILE ISOLATED SHOWER ACTIVITY AFFECTED MOST OTHER AREAS DURING MONDAY 3RD. BY THE 4TH SHOWER ACTIVITY CONTINUED GENERALLY ISOLATED OVER MOST AREAS, EXCEPT FOR A FEW MORE OVER THE SOUTH AT NIGHT-TIME.

MOIST AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS PREVAILED AS ANOTHER TROPICAL WAVE APPROACHED AND CROSSED THE COUNTRY DURING WEDNESDAY 5TH. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED OVER SOUTHERN COASTAL WATERS AND SPREAD TO SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL AREAS DURING THE NIGHT WITH SHOWERS AND RAIN SPREADING TO THE NORTH DURING THE DAYTIME. HEAVY RAINFALL AFFECTED THE CENTRAL AREAS OF THE COUNTRY DURING THE MORNING OF THURSDAY 6TH, DECREASING DURING THE AFTERNOON. AN INACTIVE TROPICAL WAVE CROSSED THE COUNTRY THURSDAY 7TH AND MAINLY FAIR WEATHER PREVAILED OVER MOST AREAS DURING THE 7TH AND 8TH, EXCEPT FOR A FEW NIGHT-TIME SHOWERS OVER THE SOUTH.

NOCTURNAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO AFFECT THE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS, THEN A TROPICAL WAVE CROSSED OVER-NIGHT MONDAY 10TH INTO TUESDAY 11TH. AVAILABLE MOISTURE INCREASED WITH THIS WAVE AND PERSISTED THROUGH WEDNESDAY 12TH AS ANOTHER TROPICAL WAVE CROSSED. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED OVER THE SOUTH THEN SPREAD TO CENTRAL AND NORTHERN AREAS DURING THE DAYTIME. MAINLY FAIR WEATHER PREVAILED DURING THURSDAY 13TH BUT HEAVY RAINFALL AFFECTED THE TOLEDO DISTRICT DURING THE NIGHT WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1-3 INCHES AT A COUPLE STATIONS. DURING FRIDAY 14TH AND SATURDAY 15TH AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WAS CENTERED OVER YUCATAN AND SUPPORTED A DIVERGENT PATTERN ALOFT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTED MOSTLY THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT.

A TROPICAL WAVE CROSSED THE COUNTRY BETWEEN 18Z AND 24Z SUNDAY 16TH AND A GUSTY EAST-SOUTHEASTERLY AIRFLOW SUPPORTED A LINE OF SHOWERS ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN AREAS THROUGH MID-DAY. AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED OVER THE MAYA MOUNTAINS.

MAINLY FAIR WEATHER PREVAILED DURING MONDAY 17TH THEN YET ANOTHER TROPICAL WAVE CROSSED OVER-NIGHT INTO TUESDAY 18TH. HOWEVER WEATHER CONDITIONS CONTINUED MAINLY FAIR. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTED MOST AREAS DURING THE EARLY MORNING OF WEDNESDAY 19TH BECOMING GENERALLY ISOLATED DURING THE AFTERNOON AND THROUGH THURSDAY 20TH. A FEW EARLY MORNING SHOWERS AFFECTED THE SOUTH DURING FRIDAY 21ST WITH GENERALLY ISOLATED ACTIVITY ELSEWHERE AND AFTER. A RELATIVELY INACTIVE TROPICAL WAVE (THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM DON) CROSSED THE COUNTRY OVER-NIGHT AND MAINLY FAIR WEATHER CONTINUED DURING THE MORNING WITH SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL AREAS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND THROUGH-OUT THE NIGHT. RELATIVELY MOIST AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING SUNDAY 23RD THROUGH TUESDAY 25TH AS A TROPICAL WAVE APPROACHED AND CROSSED THE COUNTRY AND WAS ENHANCED BY DIVERGENT UPPER LEVEL CONDITIONS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTED MOSTLY SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL AREAS DURING THE NIGHT-TIME.

MAINLY FAIR WEATHER CONDITIONS WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PREVAILED DURING WEDNESDAY 26TH. A UPPER LEVEL TROUGH TO THE NORTH PROVIDED ENHANCEMENT FOR DIURNAL CONVECTION THROUGH FRIDAY 28TH. A FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED OVER THE TOLEDO DISTRICT DURING THE NIGHT-TIME WITH SIMILAR CONDITIONS INLAND DURING PEAK DAYTIME HEATING HOURS. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE MAINLY FAIR DURING THE DAYTIME OF SATURDAY 29TH AND SUNDAY 30TH, HOWEVER NIGHT-TIME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS

Monthly Rainfall Summary, August 2017

National Meteorological Service of Belize

THE MONTH OF AUGUST SAW RAINFALL LESS THAN NORMAL AT ALL STATIONS, ESPECIALLY THE NORTH AND SOME CENTRAL AREAS, WHERE LESS THAN 45 PERCENT WAS RECIEVED. TWO TROPICAL CYCLONES THREATENED TO AFFECT BELIZE; TROPICAL STORM FRANKLIN PASSED TO THE NORTH WITHOUT MUCH IMPACT, AND TROPICAL STORM HARVEY DISSIPATED BEFORE REACHING OUR AREA AND THE REMNANT LOW MOVED ACROSS THE YUCATAN PENINSULA, AGAIN WITH LITTLE EFFECT.

A MODERATE AND RELATIVELY DRY EAST-SOUTHEASTERLY AIRFLOW PREVAILED AT THE BEGINING OF THE MONTH AND SUPPORTED MAILY FAIR WEATHER FROM THE 1ST TO THE 3RD. THE UPPER PATTERN WAS NEUTRAL TO WEAKLY CONVERGENT. SHOWERS WERE ISOLATED DURING THE DAYTIME, WITH A FEW MORE ALONG WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SOUTH AT NIGHT. RAINFALL OCCURRED MAINLY OVER THE SOUTH AND WAS NOT MORE THAN HALF AN INCH PER DAY. THE SURFACE AND LOW LEVEL FLOW BACKED TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST THEN NORTHEAST THROUGH THE NEXT THREE DAYS (4-6) AS A STRONG TROPICAL WAVE MOVED ACROSS THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA. A FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED MAINLY INLAND DURING THE DAYTIME AND OVER THE SOUTH DURING THE NIGHT. PUNTA GORDA RECORDED JUST OVER THREE INCHES OF RAIN ON THE 5TH. THE WAVE DEVELOPED A LOW PRESSURE AREA NEAR 15N/82W AND WAS GIVEN A POTENTIAL TROPICAL CYCLONE STATUS ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE 6TH. BY THAT NIGHT, TROPICAL STORM FRANKLIN FORMED OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN SEA AND WAS HEADING FOR THE YUCATAN PENINSULA JUST NORTH OF BELIZE. SOME SHOWERS AND LIGHT RAIN AFFECTED MOST AREAS DURING THAT NIGHT AND CONTINUED THE NEXT DAY AS TROPICAL STORM FRANKLIN APPROACHED THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. ABOUT ONE AND A HALF INCHES OF RAIN WERE RECORDED AT BELIZE CITY AND BLUE CREEK TOLEDO. TS FRANKLIN MOVED ACROSS YUCATAN AND SUPPORTED A GUSTY SOUTHEAST AIRFLOW OVER BELIZE ON THE 8TH. A FEW SHOWERS CONTINUED OVER CENTRAL AND NORTHERN AREAS, WITH THE RAINS INCREASING OVER MOST AREAS THAT NIGHT. RAINFALL HOWEVER, WAS LESS THAN ANTICIPATED. THE NEXT TWO DAYS (9-10) SAW SKIES BECOMING CLOUDY AT TIMES WITH A FEW SHOWERS, THUNDERSTORMS OR LIGHT RAIN MAINLY OVER THE NORTH DURING THE DAYTIME AND OVER THE SOUTH IN THE NIGHT. SAN PEDRO RECEIVED ALMOST FOUR INCHES OF RAIN ON THE 9TH.

FROM THE 11TH TO THE 15TH, CONDITIONS DRIED OUT SOMEWHAT AS A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE OVER THE NORTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO SUPPORTED A GENERALLY EASTERLY SURFACE FLOW OVER OUR AREA. A NEUTRAL TO WEAKLY CONVERGENT UPPER PATTERN PREVAILED DURING THAT TIME. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED DURING THE DAYTIME, WITH A FEW MORE MAINLY OVER THE SOUTH AND SOME PARTS OF THE COAST AT NIGHT; WITH THE SOUTH RECEIVING MORE THAN TWO INCHES OF RAINFALL ON SOME NIGHTS. THE 16TH SAW A FEW SHOWERS OVER CENTRAL AREAS AS AN EAST-WEST LINE OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS PERSISTED FOR MOST OF THE DAY OVER THAT AREA. OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS (17-19) THE WEATHER RETURNED TO MAINLY FAIR COUNTRYWIDE WITH ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS, AND THE SURFACE FLOW BECAME MOSTLY EAST-NORTHEASTERLY. SHOWERS INCREASED OVER THE SOUTH ON SOME NIGHTS, WITH PUNTA GORDA RECORDING ONE AND A HALF INCHES OF RAIN ON THE 17TH. OVER THOSE SAME DAYS, TS HARVEY FORMED EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES AND MOVED TO THE SOUTH CENTRAL CARIBBEAN, WITH THE OFFICIAL FORECAST CONSISTENTLY BRINGING IT TOWARDS BELIZE. (HARVEY DEGENERATED THAT NIGHT, AND THE REMNANT LOW PRESSURE MOVED WEST-NORTHWEST ACROSS THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN AND YUCATAN, THEN REFORMED ON THE 23RD IN THE BAY OF CAMPECHE.)

AN UPPER LOW OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO HELPED TO SUPPORT A FEW SHOWERS OVER INLAND AND SOUTHERN AREAS ON THE 20TH, WITH PUNTA GORDA RECORDING ALMOST THREE INCHES OF RAIN. AS THE REMNANTS OF HARVEY APPROACHED OUR AREA, THE SURFACE FLOW BACKED TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST AND A FEW SHOWERS AND RAIN AFFECTED COASTAL AND NORTHERN AREAS ON THE 21ST, THEN MAINLY THE INTERIOR THE NEXT DAY AS THE LOW MOVED ACROSS THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. RAINFALL WITH THIS SYSTEM WAS AGAIN MUCH LESS THAN EXPECTED. TROPICAL DEPRESSION HARVEY OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO SUPPORTED A LIGHT EAST-SOUTHEAST AIRFLOW AND A GRADUAL DRYING OUT AT LOW LEVELS. THIS RESULTED IN GENERALLY ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ON THE 23RD AND 24TH. THE NEXT DAY, A FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED MAINLY INLAND AND OVER THE SOUTH, WITH MORE OVER THE SOUTH THAT NIGHT. THESE WERE SUPPORTED BY A WEAK TROPCAL WAVE. HURRICANE HARVEY MEANDERED OVER THE COAST OF TEXAS THE NEXT FEW DAYS, AND A MODERATE EAST-SOUTHEAST SURFACE FLOW SUPPORTED MAINLY FAIR AND WARM WEATHER OVER BELIZE WITH ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY INLAND IN THE AFTERNOON. THIS OCCURRED FROM THE 26TH TO THE 29TH WITH VERY LITTLE RAINFALL. A TROPICAL WAVE THEN SUPPORTED AN INCREASE IN MOISTURE AND A FEW SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS OVER MOST AREAS THE LAST TWO DAYS OF THE MONTH. ONE TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN FELL ON SOUTHERN COASTAL AREAS ON THE 31ST.

Monthly Weather Summary, September 2017

National Meteorological Service of Belize

SEPTEMBER 2017 WAS THE MOST ACTIVE MONTH ON RECORD FOR THE ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON WITH THIRTEEN NAMED STORMS AND EIGHT HURRICANES, FIVE OF WHICH WERE MAJOR HURRICANES. THE PROXIMITY OF HURRICANE IRMA INFLUENCED WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR A FEW DAYS, HOWEVER NO TROPICAL CYCLONES TRAVERSED THE COUNTRY. THREE TROPICAL WAVES CROSSED THE COUNTRY PRODUCING MOIST AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS BUT MOST AREAS RECEIVED BELOW AVERAGE RAINFALL DURING SEPTEMBER.

THE MONTH STARTED OUT FAIR WITH LIGHT SHOWERS ONLY OVER THE NORTHERN BELIZE DISTRICT AS AMODERATE EAST-SOUTHEASTERLY AIRFLOW PREVAILED. BY THE SECOND DAY A WEAK TROPICAL WAVE CROSSED THE COUNTRY PRODUCING A FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL AREAS WITH INCREASED ACTIVITY OVER THE SOUTH AND COAST OVERNIGHT. SOME SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO AFFECT THE SOUTH AND COAST ON THE THIRD MORNING AS A MID TO UPPER LEVEL TROUGH SYSTEM OVER THE NORTHERN BAY OF CAMPECHE INTERACTED WITH THE TROPICAL WAVE. FROM THE FOURTH TO THE SIXTH A SLACK PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE NORTHWEST CARIBBEAN AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA DOMINATED THE AREA SUPPORTING LIGHT EASTERLY WINDS AND FAIR CONDITIONS WITH SHOWERS CONFINED TO THE MAYA MOUNTAINS IN THE AFTERNOON AND ALONG THE SOUTH COAST AT NIGHT. ON THE SEVENTH AND EIGHTH WINDS REMAINED LIGHT AND CONDITIONS CONTINUED MOSTLY FAIR WITH ONLY A FEW EARLY MORNING SHOWERS ALONG THE COAST AND OVER THE INTERIOR DURING THE AFTERNOON. A BROAD CIRCULATION ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE IRMA OVER NORTHERN CUBA SUPPORTED WEST TO NORTHWESTERLY WINDS ON THE NINTH ALONG WITH SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER ROCKVILLE, DANGRIGA AND THE MAYA MOUNTAINS. THIS SYSTEM CONTINUED TO AFFECT THE COUNTRY ON THE TENTH PRODUCING A FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SEA IN THE MORNING AND OVER THE NORTH IN THE AFTERNOON SHIFTING BACK TO THE SEA AND SOUTH DURING THE NIGHT.

CLOUDY SKIES ALONG WITH SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTED MAINLY NORTHERN AND WESTERN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ON THE ELEVENTH THEN THE SOUTH AND COAST OVERNIGHT AS HURRICANE IRMA APPROACHED FLORIDA. ON THE EVENING OF THE TWELFTH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS INCREASED OVER CENTRAL, COASTAL AND SOUTHERN AREAS AS A FEEDER BAND FROM HURRICANE IRMA MOVED OVER THE AREA. BY THE THIRTEENTH MAINLY FAIR CONDITIONS PREVAILED WITH ONLY A FEW SHOWERS OVER THE CAYO DISTRICT IN THE AFTERNOON AND OVER THE NORTH COAST DURING THE NIGHT. ON THE FOURTEENTH A 1011MB LOW PRESSURE WAS OVER THE COUNTRY AND SEVERAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL AREAS IN THE MORNING AND OVER WESTERN AREAS IN THE AFTERNOON WITH MOST OF THE ACTIVITY DIMINISHED BY NIGHTFALL. DURING THE FIFTEENTH AND SIXTEENTH A SLACK PRESSURE GRADIENT DOMINATED THE AREA WITH MOSTLY FAIR CONDITIONS EXCEPT FOR INTENSE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER THE SOUTHERN TOLEDO DISTRICT OVERNIGHT ON THE FIFTEENTH. ON THE SEVENTEENTH A TROPICAL WAVE WAS EAST OF THE AREA AND SUPPORTED CLOUDY SPELLS ALONG WITH A FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ESPECIALLY SOUTH. THE TROPICAL WAVE TRAVERSED THE COUNTRY ON THE EIGHTEENTH WITH MODERATE SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER MOST AREAS DURING THE MORNING THEN MOSTLY INLAND IN THE AFTERNOON AND OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AREAS OVERNIGHT. ON THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE CARIBBEAN SUPPORTED A LIGHT EAST TO SOUTHEAST AIRFLOW AND MOSTLY FAIR WEATHER WITH ONLY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS AND A FEW SHOWERS OVER THE MAYA MOUNTAINS IN THE AFTERNOON AND SOUTH AT NIGHT.

DURING THE TWENTY-FIRST TO THE TWENTY-FOURTH A SLACK PRESSURE PATTERN REMAINED OVER THE AREA THAT SUPPORTED LIGHT EAST-SOUTHEASTERLY SURFACE WINDS AND MAINLY FAIR CONDITIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH MOST OF THE SHOWER ACTIVITY CONFINED TO THE MAYA MOUNTAINS IN THE AFTERNOON AND OVER THE SOUTH AND COAST AT NIGHTTIME. ON THE TWENTY-FIFTH LOW PRESSURES OVER MEXICO EXTENDED TO BELIZE AND SUPPORTED A MODERATE EAST TO SOUTHEASTERLY AIRFLOW AND WARM CONDITIONS WITH A FEW MORNING SHOWERS OVER THE ORANGE WALK DISTRICT THEN IN THE WEST DURING THE AFTERNOON AND ALONG THE SOUTH COAST AFTER SUNSET. THE CENTRAL AMERICAN MONSOON TROUGH EXTENDED ACROSS SOUTHERN BELIZE ON THE TWENTY-SIXTH WHILE CONDITIONS CONTINUED FAIR AND WARM WITH ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS OVER THE EXTREME NORTH. A VERY WEAK SURFACE TROUGH WAS ANALYSED ALONG THE COAST ON THE TWENTY-SEVENTH BUT THE WEATHER REMAINED MOSTLY FAIR WITH A FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NORTHWEST PORTION OF ORANGE WALK IN THE AFTERNOON AND LIGHT SHOWERS ALONG THE COAST INCLUDING BELIZE CITY AND LADYVILLE OVERNIGHT. ON THE TWENTY-EIGHT ANOTHER TROPICAL WAVE CROSSED THE COUNTRY THAT PRODUCED A FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER INLAND AREAS IN THE AFTERNOON THEN CENTRAL AND NORTHERN AREAS DURING THE EVENING AND NIGHT. THE INTERACTION BETWEEN A BROAD SURFACE TROUGH OVER THE NORTHWEST CARIBBEAN AND AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO ALONG WITH MOISTURE ADVECTED FROM THE MONSOON TROUGH SUPPORTED VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ON THE TWENTY-NINTH THAT RESULTED IN SEVERAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ESPECIALLY OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL AREAS, WHERE THE ACTIVITY OCCURRED MOST OF THE NIGHT INTO THE EARLY MORNING. BOTH TOWERHILL AND BELMOPAN RECEIVED MORE THAN AN INCH OF RAINFALL DURING THE TWENTY-FOUR HOUR PERIOD. THE LAST DAY OF THE MONTH CONTINUED CLOUDY AND SHOWERY AS A SURFACE TROUGH OVER THE YUCATAN PENINSULA EXTENDED TO NORTHERN BELIZE PRODUCING HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY ALONG THE COAST IN THE MORNING AND ALONG THE SOUTH COAST IN THE AFTERNOON WITH MOST OF THE ACTIVITY CONFINED TO OFFSHORE AREAS BY EVENING.

Monthly Weather Summary, November 2017

National Meteorological Service of Belize

THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER IN BELIZE FALLS IN THE TRANSITION PERIOD BETWEEN THE WET AND DRY SEASONS. IT FALLS IN THE PERIOD WHEN BELIZE EXPERIENCES COOLER TEMPERATURES BECAUSE OF THE PASSAGES OF COLD FRONTS, THE PROXIMITY OF STATIONARY FRONTS AND THE INFLUENCES OF HIGH PRESSURE RIDGES OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE NORTHWEST CARIBBEAN.

NOVEMBER 2017 BEGAN WITH FAIR WEATHER CONDITIONS AND ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS WERE NOTED. A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE OVER THE NORTHWEST CARIBBEAN SUPPORTED A DRY NORTH-EASTERLY FLOW. ON THE SECOND AND THIRD DAYS, THE FLOW BECAME MOIST AND SUPPORTED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SLIGHT INCREASE IN SHOWER ACTIVITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

BETWEEN THE FOURTH AND NINTH, GENERALLY FAIR WEATHER PREVAILED WITH ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS DEVELOPING, UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A DRY NORTH-EASTERLY FLOW. HOWEVER, ON THE FIFTH AND SEVENTH NIGHTS, SLIGHTLY MORE SHOWERS WERE OBSERVED AROUND THE COUNTRY.

FROM THE TENTH TO THE THIRTEENTH, MOIST CONDITIONS DEVELOPED AND SUPPORTED CLOUDY SKIES. EXCEPT FOR THE ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH NIGHTS, SHOWERS WERE CONFINED TO THE SEA AS A MOIST NORTH-WESTERLY FLOW PREVAILED.

ON THE FOURTEENTH, FIFTEENTH AND SIXTEENTH, THE FLOW REMAINED MOIST, BUT SHOWERS NOW AFFECTED THE MAINLAND AS WELL. ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS WERE NOTED ON THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH. HOWEVER, DURING THE EIGHTEENTH NIGHT, A MOIST NORTH-EASTERLY FLOW SUPPORTED AN INCREASE IN SHOWERS, LASTING THROUGH TO THE TWENTIETH, DECREASING DURING THE NIGHT.

FROM THE TWENTY-FIRST THROUGH TO THE TWENTY-SIXTH, FAIR, COOL AND DRY CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AS A DRY NORTH-WESTERLY FLOW DEVELOPED. FROM THE TWENTY-SIXTH THROUGH TO THE END OF THE MONTH GENERALLY FAIR AND COOL CONDITIONS PREVAILED , BUT ISOLATED SHOWERS WERE NOTED AROUND THE COUNTRY.

NOVEMBER 2017 SAW COOL TEMPERATURES, TYPICAL FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. HOWEVER, RAINFALL WAS BELOW NORMAL. NO COLD FRONTS CROSSED THE COUNTRY, WHILE A FEW STATIONARY FRONTS WERE OBSERVED OVER THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. HIGH PRESSURE RIDGES WERE IN ABUNDANCE OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO AND OVER THENORTHWEST CARIBBEAN.

Monthly Weather Summary, December 2017

National Meteorological Service of Belize

THE MONTH OF DECEMBER ARRIVED WITH A NORTH-NORTHWESTERLY FLOW PREVAILING OVER OUR AREA AS A SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDED FROM NORTHEASTERN HONDURAS TO NORTHERN BELIZE. BY SATURDAY 2ND THE ORIENATION OF THE TROUGH ROTATED AND WINDS BECAME NORTHEASTERLY. AT UPPER LEVELS A RIDGE TO THE EAST OF OUR AREA SUPPORTED A SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT. THE RESULTING FLOW AT THE SURFACE AND LOW LEVELS SUPPORTED SOME MOISTURE AND SHOWERS OVER COASTAL WATERS AND ALONG CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN COASTAL AREAS OF THE COUNTRY. RELATIVELY MOIST CONDITIONS PREVAILED THROUGH THURSDAY 7TH.

DURING FRIDAY 8TH OVER-NIGHT SHOWERS CONTINUED TO AFFECT SOUTHERN COASTAL WATERS AS A COLD FRONT MOVED OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO AND BAY OF CAMPECHE SOME EARLY MORNING FOG PATCHES AFFECTED RIVER VALLEYS AND LOW LYING AREAS AND CLEARED BY MID-MORNING. UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY INCREASED AS PRE-FRONTAL ACTIVITY IN THE FORM OF A FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTED INLAND AND NORTHERN AREAS. THE COLD FRONT CROSSED THE COUNTRY OVER-NIGHT THE 8TH INTO THE 9TH WITH SHOWERY AND WINDY CONDITIONS DEVELIOPING THEN MOSTLY LIGHT RAINFALL OCCURRED DURING SATURDAY 9TH.

MAINLY FAIR, WINDY AND DRY CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING SUNDAY 10TH THROUGH FRIDAY 15TH AS A STRONG RIDGE FROM A CONTINENTAL HIGH OVER THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES DOMINATED OUR WEATHER AND MAINTAINED THE COLD FRONT ACROSS CENTRAL CUBA TO JUST EAST OF NICARAGUA. BY SATURDAY 16TH SOME MOISTURE RETURNED OVER OUR AREA AS A SURFACE TROUGH DEVELOPED EAST OF THE COUNTRY TO NORTHWESTERN HONDURAS AND LATER LIFTED TO NORTHERN BELIZE AND YUCATAN, WHILE AT LOW LEVELS A RETURNING EAST-SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW DEVELOPED. BY SUNDAY 17TH A GUSTY EASTERLY SURFACE FLOW DEVELOPED AS THE NORTHERN ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE EXTENDED TO THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN AND THE GULF OF MEXICO. MOSTLY LIGHT RAINFALL AFFECTED CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN DISTRICTS DURING SATURDAY16TH THRU MONDAY 18TH. DURING TUESDAY 19TH THROUGH MONDAY 25TH MAINLY FAIR WEATHER PREVAILED AND SHOWERS WERE GENERALLY ISOLATED OVER MOST AREAS EXCEPT ALONG CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN COASTAL AREAS AND THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE MAYA MOUNTAINS WHERE A BIT MORE SHOWER ACTIVITY OCCURRED.

EARLY MORNING FOG PATCHES AGAIN AFFECTED RIVER VALLEY AND LOW LYING AREAS AND THESE CLEARED BY MID-MORNING DURING WEDNESDAY 27TH. THROUGH THURSDAY 28TH A MEANDERING FRONTAL SHEAR-LINE WAS OVER COASTAL WATERS AND THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WAS CONFIINED TO A SHALLOW LAYER BELOW 850HPA/5,000FT AND A FEW LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS AFFECTED MOSTLY SOUTHERN COASTAL AREAS WHILE WEATHER CONDITIONS CONTINUED GENERALLY FAIR OVER MOST OTHER AREAS. A NORTHEASTWERLY SURFACE -LOW LEVEL FLOW DURING FREIDAY 29TH AND SATURDAY 30TH ADVECTED SOME MOISTURE AND A FEW SHOWERS ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN DISTRICTS. A SHORT SPELL OF EARLY MORNING FOG DEVELOPED DURING THE MORNING OF SUNDAY 31ST WHILE SHOWER ACTIVITY WAS GENERALLY ISOLATED OVER MOST AREAS OF THE COUNTRY.

Monthly Weather Summary, January 2018

National Meteorological Service of Belize

JANUARY, 2018 STARTED OFF ON THE COOL SIDE, AS OVERNIGHT TO EARLY MORNING LAND BREEZE HAD BEEN PERSISTENT FOR SOME DAYS ALREADY. THESE COOLER LAND TEMPERATURES LIMITED CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY OVER THE MAINLAND, WHILE THE PREVAILING OFFSHORE WIND FLOW WAS A GENERALLY LIGHT NORTH-TO-NORTHEASTERLY ONE. ADDITIONALLY, WITH THE WARMER SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES AND COOL AIRFLOW OVER THE SEA, SHOWERY ACTIVITY AFFECTED CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN COASTAL WATERS DURING THE NIGHT AND MORNING, AND THEN THE MAINLAND IN THE AFTERNOON. A TOTAL OF THREE COLD FRONTS WERE NOTED TO HAVE CROSSED BELIZE DURING THIS MONTH.

BY NIGHT-TIME ON THE 1ST, WINDS BECAME GUSTY WITH THE APPROACH AND PASSING OF A COLD FRONT, SO THAT BY THE 2ND, AND CONTINUING ON THE 3RD, WINDS SHIFTED TO BLOW FROM THE NORTH-TO-NORTHWEST, BEHIND THE FRONT. A STRONG SURFACE HIGH BEHIND EXTENDED A RIDGE OVER THE AREA, SUPPORTING MODERATE AND OCCASIONALLY GUSTY WINDS.FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS, WHILE THE MID-TO-UPPER LEVELS REMAINED RATHER DRY OVER BELIZE, AND THE AIRFLOW CONTINUED TO SUPPORT COOL TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, SHOWER ACTIVITY WAS PREDOMINANTLY OVER THE SEA/OFFSHORE. ON THE 4TH, THE FLOW WAS NORTHERLY, VEERING LATER ON THE 5TH TO BECOME NORTH-TO-NORTHEASTERLY ONCE MORE. MODERATE WIND SPEEDS CONTINUED OVER THE AREA. THIS CONTINUED THROUGH THE 7TH, AND THE MID-TO-UPPER LEVELS BECAME EVEN DRIER OVER BELIZE.

LATE ON THE 7TH THROUGH THE 8TH, WINDS VEERED FURTHER TO BECOME EAST-TO-NORTHEASTERLY, WITH DECREASING WIND SPEEDS. ON THE 8TH THROUGH THE EARLIER PART OF THE 9TH, THE INITIAL AIRFLOW SUPPORTED AN INFLOW OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE OVER BELIZE, FROM OVER THE SEA, AND NORTHERN BELIZE WAS RELATIVELY ACTIVE WITH A FEW SHOWERS OCCURRING OVER THIS PERIOD.

GENERALLY FAIR, COOL AND DRY WEATHER PREVAILED FROM LATER ON THE 9TH, WITH TEMPERATURES WARMING UP FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS THROUGH THE 11TH, AS A RIDGE OVER THE CARIBBEAN AND GULF OF MEXICO PROVIDED A LIGHT EAST-TO-SOUTHEASTERLY AIRFLOW OVER THE COUNTRY.THEN, THE 12TH WAS WIDELY OBSERVED FOR THICK FOG COVERAGE MAINLY OVER NORTHERN PARTS (COROZAL, ORANGE WALK, BELIZE DISTRICTS) OF THE COUNTRY, THAT LASTED THROUGH LATE MORNING. WINDS HAD BACKED TO BECOME NORTH-TO-NORTHWESTERLY AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT, LATER BECOMING GUSTY WITH PREFRONTAL AND FRONTAL ACTIVITY. PREFRONTAL SHOWERS OCCURRED MAINLY OVER NORTHERN AND WESTERN AREAS OF THE COUNTRY.LATER, AS THE COLD FRONT CROSSED BELIZE OVERNIGHT, SHOWERS/RAIN AFFECTED MAINLY CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PARTS. VARIABLY CLOUDY, WINDY AND COOL CONDITIONS, WITH LITTLE OR NO RAINFALL, PERSISTED BEHIND THIS COLD FRONT. FROM THE 15TH THROUGH TO THE 17TH, SIMILAR CONDITIONS PREVAILED, WITH ISOLATED SHOWERY ACTIVITY OVER COASTAL WATERS/SEA, INCREASING ON THE 18TH TO AFFECT MAINLY SOUTHERN AREAS, AS WINDS VEERED TO BECOME NORTH-TO-NORTHEASTERLY, REMAINING GUSTY THROUGH THE 19TH. AS MOISTURE RETROGRESSED FROM THE EAST ON THE 20TH, A FEW SHOWERS OCCURRED OVER THE MAINLAND, AND ON THE 21ST THE SURFACE FLOW BECAME GAINED A MORE EASTERLY COMPONENT, BECOMING DOMINANTLY EASTERLY ON THE 22ND.

AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO, A SHEARLINE BEGAN TO PRODUCE PREFRONTAL ACTIVITY OVER BELIZE. FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTH AND COAST DURING THE NIGHT/EARLY MORNING ON THE 23RD. WINDS BECAME EAST-TO-NORTHEASTERLY ONCE MORE, AND DAYTIME ACTIVITY SPREAD TO MAINLY CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AREAS OF THE COUNTRY; THIS DIURNAL PATTERN REPEATED ITSELF, INCREASING ON THE 25TH, TO ALSO INCLUDE LENGTHY PERIODS OF RAIN. AS THE SURFACE AIRFLOW BECAME MORE EASTERLY AND GUSTY, RAINFALL ACTIVITY STARTED TO ALSO AFFECT NORTHERN AREAS ON THE 26TH AND 27TH. MOISTURE ON THESE DAYS WAS SUPPORTED BY SHEARLINE/TROUGH THAT HAD RETROGRESSED OVER THE AREA.

LATE ON THE 28TH, WINDS BACKED TO BECOME NORTH-TO-NORTHEASTERLY WITH THE PASSAGE OF A SHEARLINE THAT WAS AHEAD OF ANOTHER APPROACHING COLD FRONT. OVERNIGHT/EARLY MORNING COASTAL SHOWERS/RAIN WERE INFLUENCED BY THIS SHEARLINE. WINDS BECAME GUSTY ON THE 29TH, LASTING THROUGH EARLY ON THE 31ST. THE FINAL COLD FRONT FOR THE MONTH CROSSED THE COUNTRY ON THE 30TH. AS A RESULT, SURFACE AIRFLOW BECAME NORTHERLY AND STRONGER, STILL WITH HIGHER GUSTS, ON THE 30TH. SHOWERS/RAIN OCCURRED MOSTLY OVER THE SEA/COAST AND OVER THE SOUTH DURING THESE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, AS THE WINDS VEERED TO BECOME NORTH-TO-NORTHEASTERLY WITH DECREASING SPEEDS ON THE 31ST.

TEMPERATURE AND RAINFALL DATA ARE SHOWN IN THE GRAPHS ATTACHED.

Monthly Weather Summary

Monthly Weather Summary, February 2018

National Meteorological Service of Belize

FEBRUARY 2018 WAS WETTER THAN NORMAL ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH MOST STATIONS RECEIVING MORE THAN DOUBLE THEIR AVERAGE RAINFALL. THE INCREASED RAINFALL AMOUNTS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO MOISTURE SURGES PRODUCED BY THE TRADEWINDS. MOST OF THE MONTH WAS WINDY INCLUDING THE THIRTEENTH WITH GUSTS BETWEEN 25-35KTS AND UP TO 45KTS AT THE PORT OF BELIZE IN BELIZE CITY. NO FRONTAL SYSTEMS TRAVERSED THE COUNTRY.

THE MONTH STARTED WITH A SURFACE TROUGH NORTHEAST OF THE COUNTRY WHICH PRODUCED CLOUDY SKIES ALONG WITH A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS OVER CENTRAL AND OFFSHORE AREAS IN THE MORNING. SKIES REMAINED CLOUDY ON THE SECOND WITH PERIODS OF RAIN OVER CENTRAL AREAS AND THE NORTHERN SLOPES OF THE MAYA MOUNTAINS WHILE ON THE THIRD RAIN OCCURRED MOSTLY OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN COASTAL AREAS THEN BECAME ISOLATED BY MID-MORNING. A LIGHT EASTERLY AIRFLOW PREVAILED FROM THE FOURTH TO THE SIXTH WHICH SUPPORTED MAINLY FAIR WEATHER WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL AREAS ON THE FIFTH AND OVER THE SOUTH ON THE SIXTH.

THE SEVENTH SAW PARTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY CONDITIONS AS A FEW SHOWERS AFFECTED CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN COASTAL AREAS. ON THE EIGHTH THE SHOWER ACTIVITY CONTINUED OVER SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL AREAS BECOMING CONFINED TO THE MAYA MOUNTAINS IN THE AFTERNOON THEN TO CENTRAL AND COASTAL AREAS DURING THE NIGHT. A SIMILAR PATTERN WAS OBSERVED ON THE NINTH. ON THE TENTH A MODERATE TO GUSTY EAST TO SOUTHEAST AIRFLOW PREVAILED AND A FEW SHOWERS OCCURRED OVER THE ORANGE WALK AND COROZAL DISTRICTS BUT BY NIGHTTIME CONDITIONS WERE MAINLY FAIR AND DRY.

ON THE ELEVENTH SKIES WERE PARTLY CLOUDY ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE GENERALLY FAIR WITH NO RAINFALL AND A GUSTY EAST TO SOUTHEAST SURFACE FLOW PREVAILED OVER THE AREA. BY THE TWELFTH A FEW SHOWERS DEVELOPED OVER THE SEA AND MAYA MOUNTAINS IN THE MORNING AND CONTINUED OVER THE MAINLAND IN THE AFTERNOON SPREADING TO THE COAST AND OVER THE STANN CREEK DISTRICT DURING THE NIGHT. ON THE THIRTEENTH A MOIST AND GUSTY EAST TO NORTHEAST AIRFLOW PREVAILED WHICH SUPPORTED SHOWERS OVER COASTAL AND INLAND AREAS MOST OF THE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON THEN OVER THE SEA AND NORTHERN AREAS OVERNIGHT. ON THE FOURTEENTH A FEW EARLY MORNING SHOWERS CONTINUED TO AFFECT THE NORTH THEN A FEW SHOWERS DEVELOPED AROUND THE COUNTRY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND AFFECTED ONLY THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE COUNTRY DURING THE NIGHT. THIS ACTIVITY CONTINUED ON THE FIFTEENTH AS SHOWERS DEVELOPED AROUND THE COUNTRY BUT ESPECIALLY OVER THE BELIZE AND STANN CREEEK DISTRICTS AS A GUSTY EASTERLY AIRFLOW PREVAILED.

BY THE SIXTEENTH CONDITIONS WERE GENERALLY FAIR WITH SHOWERS DEVELOPING ONLY ALONG THE STANN CREEK COAST AND OVER THE MAYA MOUNTAINS. THE SEVENTEENTH STARTED OUT MAINLY FAIR WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS BUT DURING THE NIGHT A LINE OF SHOWERS PASSED OVER THE COUNTRY AND AFFECTED MOSTLY NORTHERN AND CENTRAL AREAS. ON THE EIGHTEENTH A GUSTY EASTERLY AIRFLOW PREVAILED AND SKIES WERE MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A FEW SHOWERS OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL AREAS WHICH SPREAD TO MOST DISTRICTS AFTER MIDNIGHT BUT BECAME ISOLATED BY SUNRISE. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE SIMILAR ON THE NINETEENTH WITH A FEW SHOWERS OVER THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN AREAS IN THE MORNING AND ISOLATED SHOWERS DURING THE NIGHT. ON THE TWENTIETH MAINLY FAIR AND WINDY WEATHER PREVAILED WITH ONLY SHALLOW CUMULUS CLOUDS AND ISOLATED SHOWERS OVER THE EXTREME NORTH IN THE AFTERNOON .

THE GUSTY EAST TO SOUTHEAST AIRFLOW CONTINUED ON THE TWENTY-FIRST ALONG WITH A FEW SHOWERS OVER NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE COUNTRY IN THE MORNING THEN MOSTLY OVER THE MAYA MOUNTAINS IN THE AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT. ON THE TWENTY-SECOND SHOWERS DEVELOPED OVER NORTHERN AMBERGRIS CAYE DURING THE MORNING THEN A FEW SHOWERS MOVED ACROSS CENTRAL AREAS AROUND MIDDAY AND OVER SOUTHERN AND COASTAL WATERS AT NIGHTTIME. SHOWER ACTIVITY PERSISTED AROUND THE COUNTRY MOST OF THE TWENTY-THIRD THEN THE ACTIVITY BECAME ISOLATED OVERNIGHT. MAINLY FAIR AND DRY WEATHER PREVAILED FROM THE TWENTY-FOURTH TO THE TWENTY-FIFTH AS THE AIRFLOW REMAINED GUSTY AND FROM THE EAST-SOUTHEAST.

THE TWENTY-SIXTH STARTED WARM AND DRY WITH NO RAINFALL THEN A FEW SHOWERS AFFECTED THE BELIZE, STANN CREEK AND TOLEDO DISTRICTS DURING THE NIGHT. BY THE TWENTY-SEVENTH MAINLY FAIR CONDITIONS RETURNED DURING THE DAY WITH LIGHT EASTERLY WINDS AND ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS BUT OVERNIGHT A FEW SHOWERS DEVELOPED OVER CENTRAL AREAS INCLUDING THE AIRPORT. THE LAST DAY OF THE MONTH A MODERATE EAST TO SOUTHEAST AIRFLOW PREVAILED AND PRODUCED FAIR, WARM AND MOSTLY DRY WEATHER CONDITIONS.

Monthly Weather Summary, MARCH 2018

National Meteorological Service of Belize

THE MONTH OF MARCH STARTED OFF WARM ANDMOSTLY DRY WITH ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS ASRIDGINGWAS THE DOMINANT FACTOR AFFECTING OUR WEATHER. MOISTURE LEVELS AND INSTABILITY INCREASED SLIGHTLY AROUND THE THIRD OF MARCH BECAUSE OF PRE-FRONTAL ACTIVITY FROM A COLD FRONT OVER THE YUCATAN. A LIGHT MOIST EAST TO NORTH-EASTERLY FLOW PREVAILED OVER THE AREA SUPPORTING A FEW SHOWERS OVER MOST AREAS. THEREAFTER, THE MOISTURE LEVEL GRADUALLY DECREASED PRODUCING FAIR AND DRY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH AN AVERAGE TOTAL PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUE OF 20-30MM IN A NEUTRAL ENVIRONMENT. SIMILAR WEATHER CONDITIONS PERSISTED INTO THE SECOND WEEK WITH LITTLE TO NO RAINFALL ACTIVITY UNTIL THE NINTH AND TENTH WHERE ISOLATED SHOWERS WERE OBSERVED OVER THE SOUTHERN DISTRICTS. A BROAD UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WITH A SOUTH-WESTERLY WIND COMPONENT LED TO A MARGINALLY UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT OVER THE AREA, HOWEVER, RIDGING WAS STILL THE MAJOR FACTOR INFLUENCING THE WEATHER. BY THE TWELFTH, AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHED THE AREA, AN INCREASE IN MOISTURE WAS OBSERVED AT BOTH THE LOW AND UPPER LEVELS AND SUPPORTED THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHERN BELIZE. THIS INCREASE IN MOISTURE CONTINUED INTO THE THIRTEENTH WITH CLOUDY SKIES, A NORTH TO NORTH-WESTERLY SURFACE FLOW AND RAINFALL ACTIVITY AROUND THE COUNTRY AS THE COLD FRONT WAS LOCATED EAST OF CUBA, CENTRAL BELIZE AND NORTH OF GUATEMALA. THE SOUNDING RECORDED A PWAT OF 63.4MM, KI 35.1, LIFT -0.26 INDICATING AN UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT AND THUNDERSHOWERS RESULTED IN MAXIMUM OBSERVED RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 43.4MM AT LIBERTAD, 37.2MM AT RANCHITO, 51.4MM AT MIDDLESEX AND 34.8MM IN BELMOPAN. THEN RAINFALL ACTIVITY SUBDUED ON THE FOURTEENTH WITH MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND ISOLATED SHOWERS OVER THE SOUTH.

A FURTHER DECREASE IN MOISTURE OCCURRED IN THE THIRD WEEK WITH RIDGING INFLUENCING THE WEATHER LEADING TO FAIR AND MOSTLY DRY WEATHER WITH ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS. THE AVERAGE PWAT FOR THIS WEEK WAS 30-35MM, HOWEVER, MOST OF THE MOISTURE WAS AT THE UPPER LEVELS SUPPORTING ONLY SHALLOW CUMULUS CLOUDS AND DENSE CIRRUS. THE FLOW AT THE UPPER LEVELS FOR THE PERIOD WAS WEST TO SOUTH-WESTERLY IN A NEUTRAL TO WEAKLY CONVERGENT ENVIRONMENT AS A HIGH-PRESSURE RIDGE WAS NEAR BAHAMAS. THE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN BECAME DIVERGENT AROUND THE NINETEENTH WITH AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT OVER THE YUCATAN AND AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRED OVER THE SOUTHWEST MAYA MOUNTAINS DUE TO DAYTIME HEATING. THE SURFACE FLOW BACKED TO A MORE EAST TO NORTH-EASTERLY COMPONENT AND MOISTURE WAS CONFINED TO THE UPPER LEVELS. THE COLD FRONT EXTENDED OVER SOUTHERN YUCATAN TO NORTHERN BELIZE AND AN INCREASE IN MOISTURE, CLOUDINESS AND A FEW SHOWERS PREVAILED OVER CENTRAL BELIZE. MOST OF THE MOISTURE SUPPORTING THE SHOWERS WAS CAPPED BELOW 850HPA WITH THE MID-UPPER LEVELS BEING DRY. THE SHOWERY ACTIVITY WAS FURTHER ENHANCED BY A BROAD UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE COUNTRY. ON THE TWENTY-SECOND, SHOWERS BECAME ISOLATED WITH A FEW MORE OVER SOUTHERN COASTAL AREAS LATER IN THE NIGHT, WINDS SPEEDS PICKED UP AROUND THIS TIME TO A MODERATE TO OCCASIONALLY GUSTY NORTH-EASTERLY FLOW OVER THE AREA. AS THE FRONT PROGRESSED FURTHER EASTWARD, CONDITIONS IMPROVED, EXCEPT FOR OVER SOUTHERN BELIZE,WITH SKIES BECOMING SUNNY WITH ONLY A FEW CLOUDY SPELLS AND A GRADUAL DECREASE IN MOISTURE. THIS GENERAL PATTERN WITH AN EAST TO SOUTH-EASTERLY SURFACE FLOW CONTINUED FOR A FEW DAYS WITH FAIR CONDITIONS OVER MOST AREAS AND ONLY P.M. ISOLATED SHOWERS OVER THE MAYA MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHERN AREAS. TOWARDS THE END OF THE MONTH, MOISTURE LEVELS REMAINED RELATIVELY LOW, EXCEPT FOR SLIGHT INCREASE IN UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE. A FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS PERSISTED IN THE AFTERNOONS OVER THE MAYA MOUNTAINS DUE TO HEATING AND TOPOGRAPHIC LIFT. THE MONTH ENDED WITH A FEW SHOWERS AND A LIGHT NORTH-EASTERLY FLOW OVER THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL INLAND AREAS WITH HIGHER PWAT VALUES WERE OBSERVED AND AN INCREASE IN LOW AND MID-LEVEL CLOUDS DEVELOPED WITH THE ACCOMPANYING MOISTURE AND ELSEWHERE, FAIR CONDITIONS PREVAILED.

Monthly Weather Summary, April 2018

National Meteorological Service of Belize

APRIL IN BELIZE IS THE DRIEST MONTH OF THE YEAR. THE FIRST TWO DAYS OF APRIL 2018, WERE WARM, BUT NOT COMPLETELY DRY. ISOLATED SHOWERS WERE OBSERVED OVER THE NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY. THE THIRD DAY WAS DRY. NO RAINFALL FELL! DURING THE FOLLOWING THREE DAYS ISOLATED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE OBSERVED AND MOSTLY OVER THE MAYA MOUNTAINS. FROM THE SEVENTH TO THE NINTH, NO RAINFALL ACTIVITY WAS OBSERVED AROUND THE COUNTRY.

FROM THE TENTH TO THE FOURTEENTH, AN INCREASE IN PRECIPITABLE WATER AND HIGH AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES SUPPORTED ISOLATED TO A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE MAYA MOUNTAINS AND OVER THE TOLEDO DISTRICT. ON THE FIFTEENTH MORNING, PRE-FRONTAL ACTIVITY SUPPORTED SEVERAL OUTBREAKS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTED NORTHERN DISTRICTS AND CAYES. THE COLD FRONT CROSSED THE COUNTRY DURING THE FIFTEENTH NIGHT, BECOMING WELL ESTABLISHED SOUTHEAST OF BELIZE ON THE SIXTEENTH. ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS WERE OBSERVED THAT DAY.

THE SEVENTEENTH DAY WAS DRY WITH NO RAINFALL ACTIVITY. HOWEVER, ALL REMAINING DAYS TO THE END OF THE MONTH WAS A RAIN DAY. SOME DAYS WERE AFFECTED BY HEAVIER AND MORE INTENSE RAINFALL THAN OTHERS. THE TWENTY-SEVENTH AND TWENTY-EIGHT FOR EXAMPLE WERE AFFECTED BY PRE-FRONTAL ACTIVITIES WITH SEVERAL OUTBREAKS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS, SEVERE AT TIMES. OVER AN INCH OF RAINFALL WAS RECORDED AT SOME STATIONS IN THE CENTRAL REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY, ALONG WITH HAILSTONE ACTIVITY. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT DID NOT CROSS THE COUNTRY. HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATER AND HIGH AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES SUPPORTED ISOLATED TO A FEW SHOWERS AROUND THE COUNTRY ON THE OTHER DAYS.

IN CONCLUSION, APRIL 2018 WAS NOT TOTALLY DRY. THERE WERE ONLY EIGHT DAYS WITH NO RAINFALL ACTIVITY. MEASURING RAINFALL READINGS ALONGSIDE THE CLIMATOLOGICAL NORM SUGGESTS THAT RAINFALL WAS ABOVE AVERAGE IN BELIZE FOR APRIL 2018. HOWEVER, TEMPERATURES, MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM WERE WITHIN THE NORMAL RANGE. IN ADDITION, ONE COLD FRONT CROSSED THE COUNTRY THIS MONTH AND WAS A CONTRIBUTOR TO THE ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL.

Monthly Rainfall Summary, April 2018