According to Barbados-based Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF) many Caribbean countries including Belize could see a deficit in rainfall this year and into 2020.
There latest outlook newsletter (Aug-Oct) states that rainfall will continue to increase across the region augmenting water resources. It is likely that parts of Belize, particularly in the northwest, can still have concerns over short term drought that can impact agricultural production and small rivers, streams and ponds.
August to October 2019: This period marks the peak of the Caribbean Heat Season, which runs from May to October and is likely to be warmer than in the past two years with several heat waves possible in any low-lying area. The main impact would be recurrent episodes of heat stress to vulnerable individuals, in small livestock and poultry. Drought may continue in areas currently affected. A seasonable increase in very wet and extremely spells is expected across the region, which may bring some drought relief, but also concern for flash floods and flooding
With rainfall deficits still possible despite the increasing rainfall, concerns exist for parts of the eastern Caribbean and Belize over long term drought that can impact rivers and reservoirs by the end of the wet season at the end of November. This raises some initial concerns over water availability entering the 2019/2020 dry season.
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