Photo: Ronald Gordon, Chief Meteorologist
by Kristen Ku
BELIZE CITY, Wed. Oct. 25. 2023
While Tropical Depression 21 may have been brief in its existence, its after effects have stretched on for a few days for Belize.
The short-lived tropical depression, which formed on Monday evening, moved rapidly into Nicaragua, with sustained winds of 25 mph, and dissipated by early Tuesday. The remnants of this system, however, have continued to impact Belize’s weather.
In a recent interview, Belize’s Chief Meteorologist, Ronald Gordon, on Tuesday, October 24, stated, “We noticed that there’s a few more showers today compared to yesterday. And as we go into this evening and tonight, we expect those showers to increase across the country and persist at least until around Friday.”
According to the data provided by Gordon, one of the weather models was indicating about one to two inches of rainfall on Tuesday, peaking at approximately three inches on Wednesday and Wednesday night. That model indicated that the rains would start to recede on Thursday, down to about one to two inches, and decrease further on Friday to less than an inch.
Gordon was hesitant to specify which areas would be most affected, but assured us that most regions of the country would experience some rainfall due to the remnants of the depression. “Over the passage of the system or the remnants of the system, we expect most of the country to get some rainfall,” he remarked.
The meteorological development comes at a crucial time for Belize, as parts of the western region are facing a drought watch. Additionally, Belize’s October rainfall has fallen far short of what is typical, causing concerns about water reserves and agriculture.
“We do notice that the month of October has been below normal so far in terms of rainfall. We still have a few more days to go, and we’re going to see if this system will be enough to produce the amount that we normally would get for the month of October. But it’s very likely that the month will end up being below normal in the total amount of rainfall,” Gordon stated.
For those Belizeans concerned about the scorching temperatures experienced earlier in the month, Gordon indicated that, following the expected rain showers, there will be a drop in temperatures in the country. This means that the extreme temperatures which were prevalent during the initial two weeks of October are not anticipated to return for the rest of the year.
Gordon further emphasized the need for vigilance during the remainder of the hurricane season. “The advice is for persons to be on the alert, and to remain prepared and vigilant in case something does come our way,” he said.
The last hurricane to make landfall in Belize was Hurricane Lisa, in November 2022. Despite it only being a Category 1 storm, Belize City was affected to a considerable degree and was inundated.
Echoing Gordon’s advice, the City Emergency Management Organization (CEMO) similarly cautioned in a Notice dated October 23, “We strongly advise residents who live in flood-prone areas of Belize City to review their preparedness plans and take proper precautions for the following rainfall projections.”