Belize weather can be generally be described as having two seasons – the wet and dry seasons. The wet season starts around the middle of June to November in the north, and from the middle of of May and up to early November in the south. November to February generally has little rainfall and the country enjoys the coolest temperatures during this period.
The dry season proper is from February to April but there may be occasional showers due to transient and late cold fronts passing over the country at this time. The south has the highest rainfall. The North is the driest. Reason why the sugar cane industry is centered in northern Belize, and the banana industry is in the south. Sugar cane is sweetest in areas of low rainfall, while bananas thrive under moist conditions.
Rainbow on the the road in Belize.
Belize annual rainfall in the south is about 160 inches or 4000 mm. In the north, annual rainfall is about 60 inches or 1500 mm. Visitors who are traveling in Belize by air and sea are urged to make their own assessments as to actual conditions on the ground, before making local travel arrangements.
Belize Topographical and Meteorological Information
Belize is located on the northern Central American mainland, and forms part of the Yucatan Peninsula. It is located between 15.75°and 18.5 ° ‘north latitude, and 87.5° and 89.25° west longitude. Belize is bounded to the north by Mexico, to the west and south by Guatemala and to the east by the Caribbean Sea. The total land area is 22,960 sq km (8,867 square miles) of which 95% is located on the mainland and five per cent is over more than 1065 islands. Total national territory (including territorial sea) is 46,620 sq km (approximately 18,000 square miles).
Most of the northern half and much of the southern third of Belize, as well as the entire coastal area and all the islands, are flat and low-lying. Large sections of the coastline have an elevation of less than 1 meter to a distance of several miles inland. In the north, topography of the land rises to a maximum of approximately 250 meters above sea level (a.s.l) in the extreme west of the country. The central part of the country is dominated by the Maya Mountain Mountain Pine Ridge massif, rising to 1120 meters a.s.l (3,688 ft) at its highest point.
Average Belize maximum temperatures are near 85 °F and the mean lows are in the low 70′s. Summers are about 8 degrees warmer than winters. The diurnal temperature range in the interior is greater than that along the coast, where it is moderated by the sea breezes.
Belize Travel: When To Go
The tourism high season in Belize coincides with the cool and dry seasons – November to May. Thanksgiving, the fourth Thursday in November, is a signal that the tourism high season formally gets underway. Most visitors from the United States of America, Canada and Europe start traveling to Belize at the middle of November in time to be here for Thanksgiving.
There a few scattered rains in December when cold fronts start to arrive in Belize but this is tempered by the cooler temperatures and is well received by visitors and residents alike. Hotels and tourism resorts have high rack rates during this season as that is when demand is highest. Budget budget travelers need to take this into a account. Traveling to Belize outside the high season can make for lodging discounts of 25% or more.
The single biggest wave of tourists is between December 15 and January 15, and during the weeks around the Easter season in April. Many visitors are fleeing the frost and snow in their home countries at this time and looking to spend their holidays in the tropics.
Easter in Belize includes the longest single holiday on the Belize calendar – four consecutive public and bank holidays starting from Holy Friday and including Easter Monday. The international Cross Country Cycle Race is a highlight of this holiday. The weather tends to be dry and warm at this time and most Belizeans and visitors, including an increasing influx from Guatemala, make for the beaches and rivers to cool off and enjoy the sun, swimming, fishing and other recreational water sports.
Most tourism lodges charge top dollar during these peak tourism periods. Experts recommend avoiding the high season if you are looking to save money. Some resorts offer discounts in the high season provided that you book well in advance and make a deposit but you need to hunt around for those unadvertised specials
The rainy season runs from June to November when annual Belize rainfall is highest. The early months of May and June when when rainfall is just getting underway, are a good time to travel to Belize as you can you can escape the tourist rush and hotel rates tend to be lower.
The downside is that some dirt roads get get muddy and this may curtail visits to remote areas. When there is heavy rainfall, floods in the south, portions of some public highways are temporarily closed. Some caves, especially those used for cave tubing such as the Actun Tunichil Muknal network are not safe and are closed by the authorities during these conditions. While ground travel may be impeded in times of high rainfall, air transportation is readily available throughout the year.