Belize Weather Forecast: July 18, 2012

General Situation:
Ambergris Caye: Conditions this morning by Elbert just before or after this post!
Belize NMS: Tropical wave over area will move away tonight.
Advisories: **Small craft caution for strong gusty winds and locally rough seas near heavy showers and thunderstorms**
24-hour forecast: Cloudy today with some showers and thunderstorms over most areas this morning, then mostly inland this afternoon. Cloudy at times tonight with a few showers or thunderstorms mainly in the south.
Winds: East - southeast 10-20 knots with higher gusts near heavy showers and thunderstorms.
Marine Forecast: Today: Winds: E-SE 10-20 kts. Seas: Moderate. Waves: 4-6 ft. Some showers and thunderstorms, decreasing. Tomorrow: Winds: East 10-20 kts. Seas: Choppy - moderate. Waves: 3-6 ft. Isolated showers or thunderstorms.
Sea Surface Temp (°F): 83
Outlook: (Sun & Sun night) Generally fair with isolated showers and thunderstorms.

Tropical Weather Outlook: Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.

Click for our daily Tropical Weather Information

WEEKLY WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR BELIZE
Valid: Monday-Monday, July 16-23, 2012

A number of features of interest will influence the weather across the territory of Belize and its coastal waters this third week of July 2012. A weak surface low will persist over Belize through Wednesday. An active tropical wave will reach the area by Wednesday night, accompanied by a surge in the easterly trades over the NW and central Caribbean. These features will remain favorable for outbreaks of showers thunderstorms today through Thursday. An upper level trough will swing eastwards over the region on Friday and Saturday coupled with another vorticity maximum edging WNW just south of Belize.

A surge in the easterlies and an influx of moisture and instability is inducing outbreaks of showers and thunderstorms over the northern mainland and northern coastal waters today. The instability will persist on Tuesday, increasing later on Wednesday and Thursday with the approach and passage of an active Tropical wave (See Figure 2 & 3 below). Showers and thunderstorms will be locally concentrated over central and northern coastal areas at first then shifting to southern coastal areas on Wednesday and Thursday. The convective activity will become a bit more pronounced over the weekend and on Monday in association with an upper level trough moving slowly over the extreme NW Caribbean and northern Central America.

Daytime heating will add to the instability, inducing afternoon thunderstorms over inland areas of the Orange Walk, Cayo, western Stann Creek and Toledo districts. Expect some sunshine hours in the central and southern mainland and coastal waters today and Tuesday, and also on Friday. Otherwise, it will be generally cloudy over most areas this week.

Daily rainfall accumulations will range from 0.50-075 of-an-inch in the northern districts and northern coastal waters/Cayes on Monday and Tuesday. Elsewhere, rainfall totals will be 0.10-0.25 of-an-inch today and Tuesday. Most areas will see daily totals of 0.50-0.75 of-an-inch of rainfall on Wednesday through Monday of next week, with high amounts of 1.25-2.00 inches in the hilly terrain on Saturday through Monday. Runoff could be quick and flash floods possible. Remain vigilant this weekend and Monday!

CLICK HERE for the full Belize Weekly Weather Report

CLICK here and here for detailed weather data