Rainy season may not be so rainy says MET Office

The National Meteorological Service of Belize says this year’s rainy season may not be so rainy due to the possibility of record-breaking heat waves. Over the past months, there has been an uptick in humid days with temperatures close to a hundred degrees. The extreme heat coupled with a lack of rainfall has led to droughts which affect rural communities where wells are the primary water source. Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Michele Augustine, spoke to Love News about the possibility of even hotter days.

Reporter: Have we seen any record temperatures this year? 

Michelle Augustine, Deputy Chief Meteorologist: “Not as yet and I say not as yet because even though tomorrow is the start of the hurricane season June 1st which coincidentally is also the start of our rainy season we have not seen really a decrease in the air temperature particularly over the Cayo district, the inland part of the Orange Walk and Corozal district we are still seeing extremely hot or warm temperatures so the temperature has not abated as much so it’s still probable that we could get record-breaking temperatures but at the moment no no record has been broken.”

Reporter: All right and so does that then link to perhaps some occurrence of drought? 

Michelle Augustine, Deputy Chief Meteorologist: “Oh definitely because alongside the warmer or hot temperatures we have not seen much rainfall so the thunderstorms yes they are isolated, they are severe but isolated over a particular area so the entire country and especially areas that really need the rainfall we are not seeing that amount of rainfall as it materializes yet. Normally for this time of the year end of May we normally see increasing rains down South even flooding in the Toledo district but we haven’t received any reports of flooding or even seen excess rainfall activity for the southern part of the country so yes most definitely we could see a drought situation develop if the rains don’t start.”