Weather

Tropical Storm conditions associated with Nadine are spreading over coastal parts of the Corozal, Belize and Stann Creek Districts. The National Meteorological Service’s weather station at Half Moon Caye recently reported a wind gust of 43 mph. A Tropical Storm warning remains in effect from Belize City northward to the Border with Mexico. At 9am local time, Tropical Storm Nadine was located near latitude 17.3N, longitude 87.9W or about 25 miles southeast of Belize City. Nadine was moving to the west at 8 mph with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. A general westward motion with an increase in forward speed is expected for the remainder of today before the tropical storm makes landfall along the coast of Belize in a few hours. No significant strengthening is expected before the system makes landfall.

At 3 pm local time, potential tropical cyclone 15 (PTC 15) was located near latitude 17.5N, longitude 85.0W or about 210 miles east of Belize City. PTC 15 was moving to the west-northwest at 7 mph with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph. A general westward motion is expected tonight before the system reaches land tomorrow. Slight strengthening is expected an the system could become a low end tropical storm with winds of around 40-50 mph before it makes landfall over Belize tomorrow.

The National Meteorological Service of Belize (NMSB) and the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) are closely monitoring the Southwest Caribbean Sea, where models suggest a potential for tropical cyclone development later this week. While current chances of formation remain low, with near 0% probability over the next 48 hours and 30% within seven days, the situation could still evolve. In a worst-case scenario, a tropical depression or storm could form by Thursday or Friday, moving over Northern Nicaragua or Honduras, weakening before its remnants pass over Belize late Friday into Saturday, bringing moderate to heavy rainfall. The public is reminded that forecasts are subject to change, however, and NMSB and NEMO will continue to closely monitor the system and provide timely updates on any significant developments.

Several coastal areas of the country, including San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, have been affected by King Tides that accompanied this month's supermoon. The unusually high tide has flooded low-lying areas and streets without proper drainage systems. In San Pedro, residents are asked to exercise caution when traversing low-lying areas. At the same time, the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) crew continues to monitor and assess key areas for repairs.

To build a climate-resistant community, on Monday, August 19th, the National Meteorological Service (NMS) of Belize officially inaugurated the Caye Caulker Weather Station under the leadership of the Area Representative, Honorable Andre Perez. This new infrastructure, Automatic Weather Stations, joined the many installed across the country and will enhance the monitoring of weather and climate data for residents on the Cayes. The pivotal project was made possible through US$8 million in funding from the Global Environment Facility via the World Bank. The project is called 'Energy Resilience for Climate Adaptation' and was partly co-financed by the Government of Belize.

The Government of Belize (GOB), through the Ministry of Economic Development (MED), and the Resilient Rural Belize Programme (RRB), with funding from GOB, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), provided weather sensors and equipment to the National Meteorological Service (NMS) of Belize. These tools will assist the AgroMet section in providing real time weather information to rural farmers and households in Belize. The Resilient Rural Belize Programme via Subcomponent 2.3: “Investment in Territorial Climate Resilient Assets,” is financing the upgrade of the Climate Information system at the National Meteorological Service of Belize at a value of US $256,300.00.

After narrowly avoiding Hurricane Beryl, a dangerous and powerful storm that developed on June 28th in the eastern Caribbean, the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) in Belize is continuing to hold meetings to better prepare for the ongoing hurricane season. NEMO is reminding Belizeans that the hurricane season is just beginning, and being ready for a major storm should remain a top priority for everyone.

On Friday morning, July 5th, Hurricane Beryl landed as a Category 2 storm over the Mexican Caribbean coast, affecting coastal communities like Tulum and Playa del Carmen. The storm did not affect Belize, where a Tropical Storm Warning was issued for the northern portion of the country, including the Cayes. On Friday morning, the Government of Belize gave the all-clear, and discussions have started to see how they can help our counterparts in the Caribbean, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada, who were devastated by the weather system.