Monthly Weather Summary
Variably cloudy skies with occasional showers marked the first few days in July. High moisture content aided showers development despite a gusty southeasterly (SE’ly) flow. A tropical wave crossed Belize late Tuesday (Jul.1st) evening. Most showers occurred over northern and coastal Belize. Late on Sunday (Jul.6th) another tropical wave crossed southern Belize and produced some showers across much of the country. Punta Gorda measured 90mm as a result of the tropical wave’s passage. Mostly sunny skies and isolated showers and thunderstorms occurred during the first full week in July. A tropical wave identified over the western Caribbean heading west passed south of Belize with little effect on our weather. The upper level situation consisted of a northwesterly airflow over the Yucatan Peninsula/Belize and an almost east-west trough strung a little north of 20°N from the Bahamas to the Yucatan Straits. The northwesterly flow at upper levels was produced by an anticyclone feature situated over the Gulf of Mexico. Water vapour imagery showed almost the entire Caribbean and all of Central America covered by moisture. The upper level trough was also responsible for spotty shower development over the western Caribbean and portions of Belize during Thursday (Jul.10th).Rainfall was highest at Big Falls, Toledo with 83mm.The morning sounding for Belize appeared relatively moist in the low levels, very moist between 500hPa and 400hPa and relatively moist at upper levels. Wind profile consisted of a deep easterly (E’ly) flow. The sounding profiles through to the start of the weekend (July 12th-13th) remained generally the same. The east-west trough at upper levels (300-200hPa) provided the divergence to aid shower development across much of Belize. At the start of the second week in July, Sunday’s weather (July 13th) turned out mostly good. The morning sounding for Belize showed moisture in the low levels and moderate drying out at mid levels(500-400hPa).The wind profile was a deep E’ly to near 400hPa,then some vertical shear between 400hPa and 200hPa.Surface charts showed a tropical wave over the western Caribbean. On satellite pictures most of the deep convection remained over the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua/Honduras. The tropical wave crossed the region during Sunday producing showers mainly in the south of the country. Once again, Big Falls, Toledo measured the most rainfall with 87mm.Monday’s weather (July 14th) was mostly sunny for much of the country as a brisk easterly E’ly to SE’ly flow prevailed. Mostly good weather prevailed during the week until Friday (July 18th) when a tropical wave brought showers as it headed west across the western Caribbean. A surface Low over northern Honduras also aided shower development over Belize that day. Rainfall amounts ranged from 5mm in the north to 129mm in the south. Surface charts detected another strong tropical wave over the central Caribbean towards the weekend. The weekend’s weather for Belize was mostly cloudy. A few showers and thunderstorms occurred mainly in the south and west of the country. After the wave crossed Jamaica on Friday, it headed west northwest for the western Caribbean. Weather conditions in Belize at the start of the final full week in July were characterized by partly cloudy skies and periodic showers produced by a moist northeasterly surface flow. The tropical wave showed good cyclonic circulation as it headed west across the western Caribbean. As anticipated, the wave intensified sufficiently to be classified as tropical storm Dolly on Sunday morning (July 20th).The approaching tropical storm (the season’s fourth named storm) with winds of near 45mph warranted the imposition of a tropical storm watch for the coast of Belize. Cloudy skies and periodic showers and thunderstorms occurred mainly along coastal Belize on Monday (July 21st).Satellite pictures showed the large area of comma shaped rain bands spreading from the storm center over the southern Gulf of Mexico to the Yucatan Peninsula/Belize/Guatemala and much of northern Central America. The storm itself created a large area of instability and moisture over the region. The Belize sounding for Monday was very moist in the low and mid levels. A light west wind prevailed during Monday because of the position of the storm’s system center.Rainfall amounts were evenly distributed from north to south with higher amounts occurring along coastal Belize. As tropical storm Dolly headed further northwest over the southern Gulf of Mexico, the surface flow over Belize became more southeasterly (SE’ly) on Tuesday (July 22nd).Showers continued to occur over southern and coastal parts of Belize in association with feeder bands clouds and residual instability created by tropical storm Dolly. As Dolly headed further northwest across the NW Gulf of Mexico for the Texas/Mexico border, the weather for Belize and coastal waters improved. By Thursday (July 24th) most of the country enjoyed sunny weather produced by a SE’ly flow. A weak tropical wave which crossed Belize on Friday (July 26th) produced very few showers. In fact, the morning showers and thunderstorms over southern and central Belize were caused by divergence associated with an upper level trough situated over the western Caribbean. Into Saturday (July 26th), a few showers and thunderstorms developed over inland Belize.However, by evening on Saturday, shower development decreased to isolated, while a light northeasterly (NE’ly) surface flow developed. Sunday’s weather (July 27th) turned our quite sunny, hot and dry. A tropical wave analyzed on surface charts over the western Caribbean on Monday (July 28th) crossed Belize during early Tuesday (July 29th) with very little effect on weather. In fact, our weather continued rather hot and dry for most places during the final days of July. An upper level trough aligned southwest from central Cuba to the western Caribbean drifted slowly westward through Wednesday (July 30th).The trough produced shower and thunderstorms over the Yucatán Peninsula and parts of Honduras and Nicaragua. Since Belize was located directly beneath the cyclone center a relatively dry air pattern prevailed over Belize on Wednesday. On Thursday (July 31st) the morning sounding for Belize showed moisture content increasing at mid levels. Low level wind flow was a gusty SE’ly. Infrared satellite imagery showed considerable convection over southern Belize.Much layered clouds covered the rest of the country and coastal waters. The tropical wave mentioned earlier in the week crossed Belize late on Thursday and produced considerable rainfall over southern Belize .Big Falls, Toledo measured 100mm, while Savannah in Dangriga measured 59mm.The rainfall amounts measured at these two stations crested their normal for the month of July. For all other stations, rainfall totals remained below normal.
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