Wildfires Persist as Hurricane Season Approaches, Lightning Storms Add to Challenges

Amid the imminent hurricane season and the projected major storms, the wildfires rage on and the National Meteorological Service has also identified lightning storms in the west that are affected.

Abner Andre Perez, Minister of the Blue Economy and Disaster Risk Management: “As opposed to what many may believe, these hazards are not only related to Hurricanes between the month June to November as I mentioned. As a matter of fact the National Meteorological Service of Belize has been providing critical weather observations and forecasts during this fire season that assists all the different agencies involving the fire fighting effort. This department maintains an impressive network of weather stations across the country which has been producing real time data especially as it relates to the very high temperatures that we have been experiencing during this dry season. Now this data clearly shows that the spike in forest fires in the south and west coincided with the peak day time temperatures that occurred around the middle of May. The department as well as an advanced lightning detection system that identifies where lightning strikes are occuring. This is useful in diagnosis the causes of fire and to determine if a particular fire may have been related to lightning strikes especially in the Mountain Pine Ridge area Mr.Speaker this is where lightning strikes are occuring.”