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Belize has a subtropical to tropical environment with (in
Belize City) mean monthly minima ranging from 16º C (60º
F) in winter to 24º C (75º F) in summer. Mean monthly maximum
range from 28º C (82º F) in winter to 33º C (81º F) in summer.
Inland, and especially higher in the hills, the mean minima
are noticeably lower.
Throughout Belize there is a pronounced dry season from
February through May. But rainfall varies dramatically
between the north of Belize and the south. Figures range
from 1,200 mm (48”) in the north (Sarteneja 1,272 mm = 51"
in the period 1989-1994) to over 4,000 mm (160”) per year
in the south (4,179 mm = 167" in Punta Gorda). Unfortunately,
the amount of data points is limited and especially from
inland and higher altitude locations in the south, no data
are available at all. The rainfall isohyets in the figure
below are adapted from Walker (1973).
The monthly figures are averages only and it should
be remembered that average monthly rainfall can change dramatically
from year to year. The Average Monthly Rainfall figures
of Green Hills case below demonstrates this clearly. Experience
has taught that there is no such thing as an average year.
The wettest months at Green
Hills are January, June, July, September and October.
At least statistically and.... when measured in the amount
of rainfall. The wettest months by perception are December
and January, during that time soil is saturated from the first part of the rainy season and everything becomes
mud. The rain that in July falls in short, heavy showers,
in December and January falls as a drizzle spread out over a number of days
with not enough sun to dry everything out again.
Current
Weather
Literature:
Walker, S. H. 1973. Summary
of climatic records for Belize. Land Res. Div., Surbiton,
Surrey, England, Suppl. No 3.
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