Photo: Ronald Gordon, Chief Meteorological Officer
by Kristen Ku
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Apr. 4, 2024
As Belize steps into April, the country is witnessing extremely high temperatures, marking the beginning of an intense dry season.
This period, accompanied by heat waves and scarce rainfall, has already broken temperature records, and it is attributed to the increasing impacts of climate change on the region’s climate patterns.
Ronald Gordon, the Chief Meteorological Officer, recently reported a temperature milestone at the P.S.W. Goldson International Airport, where thermometers spiked to a staggering 99.9 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 37.7 degrees Celsius) yesterday, Wednesday.
This figure was an all-time high, surpassing previous maximums documented at the station.
“That’s the first time in history since we have been keeping record at this station that we have seen such a high temperature at the airport, so that’s something to note … With the approach and the nearness of the stationary front, conditions are cooler than it was yesterday,” Gordon explained.
Traditionally, May has been the hottest month in Belize, but with such extreme temperatures so early in the dry season, it raises the concern for even hotter conditions as the month progresses, with the possibility that current records could soon be surpassed.
Interestingly, the inland areas, often hotter, recorded slightly cooler temperatures due to a westerly wind bringing in air from cooler regions.
Amid these steamy conditions, Belizeans have an astronomical event to look forward to – a solar eclipse scheduled for Monday, April 8.
Although Belize lies outside the path of totality, residents will witness a partial solar eclipse, with about 40% of the sun obscured by the moon.
“You may recall that we had an annular solar eclipse in October of last year. And that was an eclipse in which the moon was within the entire coverage of the sun, but there was that ring around it, because at that point the distance between the moon and the earth was not close [enough] for it to entirely cover the sun; so, it’s not a total eclipse, but rather described as an annular solar eclipse,” Gordon shared.
“In this case, there’ll be even less coverage. In other words, there’ll be even less blockage of the sun; so it will not even be as dark as the eclipse that we saw last year,” he added.
The eclipse’s maximum coverage is expected to take place around 12:31 p.m. and end around 1:45 p.m., local time.
Gordon cautions Belizeans to observe the eclipse safety guidelines, using specialized sunshades, and await potential isolated showers and cloudiness which might obscure the view.
