Chief Meteorologist Debunks Viral Heatwave Warning

An online post warning of an imminent heatwave in Belize has been making the rounds on social media, raising concern among residents already bracing for the annual dry season heat. While the increased awareness may be helpful, meteorologists say the information being circulated is simply not accurate. Chief Meteorologist Ronald Gordon is setting the record straight, emphasizing that while Belize is entering its typical hot period, there is no forecast for extreme or record-breaking temperatures in the coming days. He’s also reminding the public to rely on official sources for weather updates, as the country prepares for what could still be hotter conditions later in the season.

 

Ronald Gordon, Chief Meteorologist

“We are in the typical hot season, however, looking out for the next four days based on our forecast, we are not looking at extreme heat. We are gonna be warm and we expect that, but we are not looking at extreme heat. I know that there was an article published on social media, didn’t come from us, indicating there’ll be an heat wave and extreme heat. We’re not looking at extreme heat and we’re not looking at any record breaking for the next, at least four days. If my memory serves me right, 2024 was the year that we actually got very hot temperatures exceeding a hundred for several days. Last year we had a few heat waves, but not as much as the previous year, 2024. We do expect that from climatology, that is the average over, over many years, that going into May, we will get some heat waves. We can say that definitely we will get some, and we cannot say when for sure at the moment, but we will get some heat waves before the end of this month and into early May. But like I said, for the next four days, we’re not looking at any extreme heat.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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