BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – The National Meteorological Service of Belize is urging people to take all necessary precautions to minimize heat stress as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country continues to be affected by a severe heat wave that is expected to run until October.
In a statement, the Met Service said that an analysis of the “intense heat experienced thus far in 2023” shows that it began in April, with up to 15 heatwave days being identified.
It said last month, several individual daily heat records were broken, with temperatures being recorded as high as 100°F (37.8°C), breaking previous records in 2003, 2005, and 2011.
The Met Service said that the Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA) and Punta Gorda stations broke their daily record of 93.4°F (34.1°C) and 94.5°F (34.7°C), respectively, on May 28, and other parts of the country recorded similar high temperatures.
It said that a hot day is defined as a day when the daytime high temperature reaches or exceeds the 90th percentile or falls within the top 10 percent of the historical record.
“May 2023 was the second warmest May on record for Libertad and Belmopan based on the number of hot days experienced. The PGIA observed the fifth warmest May on record, with 21 hot days,” the Met Service noted, however, that the record that occurred in May 1995 is 27 hot days.
It said heatwaves are “at least two consecutive heatwave/hot days.” While the number of heatwave days varies across the country, a considerable number of days were recorded in May continuing into June, especially in the northern and central parts of the country.
“Seven of the eight locations analyzed in May had hot days above normal, except for Savannah. The weather stations where heat data were analyzed showed 11 and 26 heatwave days occurred in May 2023.”
The Met Service said that data analyzed for June thus far shows that the first heatwave event lasted five consecutive days with maximum temperatures exceeding their 90th percentile. “Most stations observed six extreme heat days with a maximum of five consecutive days with maximum temperatures exceeding their 95th percentile,” it said, adding, “The latest forecast indicates that maximum daytime temperatures are expected to decrease slightly during the coming days as conditions become a bit cloudier.
“By this weekend, a weather system is expected to produce rain over the area that will last into early next week. However, as we expect El Niño conditions during the next few months, we anticipate that overall requirements will remain warmer and drier than usual.
“The National Meteorological Service of Belize advises residents to take all necessary precautions to minimize heat stress, including drinking adequate water and fresh juices and avoiding strenuous outdoor activities during the afternoon hours,” it added.
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