Forecaster reviews weeks past, previews weeks ahead
During the past few days we have seen the waters make their way to the Belize River Valley, collapse culverts on the Western Highway, erode portions of the Northern Highway and rendered sections of Belama Phase three and four inaccessible. Today, we sat down with Frank Tench, forecaster at the Met office in Ladyville. He gave us a review of the week and answered the question: just when we can expect things to go back to normal.
Frank Tench, Forecaster, MET Service
“Since this week we’ve been under the influence of a big high pressure system over the southeastern United States which has been producing a spell of very cool and mostly dry weather over the country. In the extreme south we’ve been having some rain and some rain along some coastal areas but for the most part it’s been mostly cool and dry because of the high pressure system. Flooding still continues over central and coastal Belize and latest reports this morning suggested that flooding has actually gotten worst in the northern districts, especially in the Orange Walk District. In places like Douglas and Caledonia the water levels have risen so flooding is still very much an issue for that part of the country and the Belize District, especially places like Lord’s Bank and the lower reaches of the Haulover River. They’ll probably experience some of the flooding on the way up here. So that’s still very much an issue but in the air conditions, cool and dry weather has been continuing.”
Jose Sanchez
“When should we see this water going down?”
Frank Tench
“Okay, from what I’ve been told, we will continue with fairly high water levels in the Belize district and, as I mentioned, in the northern districts particularly Orange Walk flood waters have risen. It seems very much that we’ll be faced with flood situations right into next week, especially for the Belize District and Orange Walk District. Waters are continuing to recede in the Cayo District so things are looking better in that area but it’s going to be a very slow process.”
The hurricane season officially ends November thirtieth. Tench says that they need to look at trends in the next few years to see if any relationship can be made between new weather patterns and an El Nino event or the possibility of global warming.
