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When to go
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Belize lies in a
subtropical
latitude, so the weather is generally warm by European standards. Local climates are largely determined by
altitude
, with the Maya Mountains pleasantly cool and the lowland jungles usually steamy and humid, no matter what the time of year. The coast and offshore cayes can be sweltering, but most of the time the heat is tempered by cooling ocean breezes. Humidity is most marked in the
rainy season
- officially from May to November - when mornings are generally clear and afternoons often drenched by downpours. The worst of the rain falls in September and October - also the height of the hurricane season; see below for more information. In the more remote southern parts of the country roads can be flooded and journeys delayed, though the rains often continue through to December, when
cold fronts
push down from the north, occasionally lowering temperatures to around 10°C. The
best time of year
to visit is from December to March, when the vegetation is lush and the skies are generally clear. This coincides with the peak tourist season, though many people also visit during the summer. Late March to May, before the onset of the first rains, can often be stiflingly hot.
Perhaps the most serious weather threat is from
hurricanes
, which occasionally sweep through the Caribbean in the late summer and autumn. If you're on the coast or the cayes, you'll hear about it long before the storm hits. Wind speeds can exceed 120km per hour, but rest assured that the country has an efficient warning system and a network of shelters. If you hear even a rumour of a hurricane you should keep your eye on the Weather Channel's hourly "Tropical Update" - shown more frequently when a storm threatens. You'd be well advised to leave cayes and coastal areas two days before the hurricane's expected landfall - if you put off leaving until the locals start to evacuate you're probably too late. Go inland to Cayo District as early as you can and you'll have a choice of where to sit out the storm, preferably in a hotel or lodge recommended in the
Rough Guide
; you really don't want to be in an overcrowded and probably unsanitary hurricane shelter. You can find excellent, up-to-date weather information, including daily reports, forecasts and, best of all, a satellite photo of the whole Caribbean and Central America on
www.belizenet.com
. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Belize |