Hurricane Watch for Entire Coast of Belize

As early as one o’clock this afternoon, exactly two hours after a live joint press conference from the National Emergency Management Organization and the National Meteorological Service, a hurricane watch was declared by the Government of Belize for the entire coast of the country. Tropical Storm Lisa continues on a westerly path, moving at approximately fourteen miles per hour, with all projections for landfall somewhere between the Belize and Stann Creek districts sometime between Wednesday and Thursday morning. The weather modules are also indicating that TS Lisa will likely strengthen to a category one hurricane by landfall. We begin tonight’s coverage with a forecast from Chief Meteorologist Ronald Gordon.

Ronald Gordon

Ronald Gordon, Chief Meteorologist

“The system is moving to the west at fourteen miles per hour with maximum sustained winds of forty miles per hour and a minimum central pressure of a thousand and three millibars. The system is currently disorganized; it is being affected by virtual wind share causing most of the thunderstorm activity to be to the east of the center. Actually the center is rather exposed indicating that the system is weak. Also there is a good amount of dry midlevel air in the environment especially west to the system and that’s why we are having fair weather. However, indications are that the environment will become more moist and the wind share will weaken and allow the system to intensify gradually. There is a possibility that the system could be a category one hurricane at landfall on the coast of Belize. In terms of motion, it is moving to the west currently, but this forecast should take a little more west to west north-western track  which will bring it pass Jamaica today and south of Cayman and north of Honduras through Tuesday and approach Belize on Wednesday. As I mention before, possibly as a category one hurricane.”