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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 .
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