by Kristen Ku
BELIZE CITY, Mon. Oct. 30, 2023
As the Atlantic hurricane season reaches its final stages, Belize, along with other Caribbean nations, now finds itself closely monitoring an emerging tropical disturbance which could significantly impact weather conditions in the region.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the Atlantic basin has been showing signs of increased activity, with weather systems forming that have the potential to develop into more significant disturbances.
The latest report, on October 30, indicates that a system is forming in the Eastern Caribbean, with a 70% chance of becoming a tropical depression within the next 7 days, and a 30% chance within the next 3 days.
“Regardless of development, this system has the potential to produce heavy rains over portions of Central America towards the end of this week,” it read.
The exact path and intensity of this potential system remain uncertain, but countries like Belize, Guatemala and Nicaragua are among those within the range of possible impact.
The rapid development of systems, as has been observed in the past, can catch communities off guard, leading to severe consequences.
U.S. meteorologists highlight that water temperatures in the Western Caribbean are above average for this time of the year, providing favorable conditions for tropical cyclones to develop and intensify. Belize, situated in the heart of Central America, with its low-lying regions and coastal areas, could face significant rainfall, flooding, and even hurricane conditions if this disturbance escalates.
Belize’s National Meteorological Service is monitoring the system and has warned Belizeans to expect showers over the coming days. “Disorganized showers and thunderstorms associated with a trough of low pressure over the eastern Caribbean Sea is expected to move westward during the next several days, and a tropical depression could form late this week,” it reported in its latest Tropical Outlook, dated Monday, October 30.
According to Fox Weather, if its winds are maintained at 39mph, it will be named Tropical Storm Vince.