Belize Climate
Top 5 Cities: Belize City, San Ignacio, Belmopan, Orange Walk, and Dangriga
This month in numbers
Belize experienced its 38th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 26.16°C, which is 0.5°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
The period of February to April 2026 was notably warm for Belize, ranking as the 11th warmest such period in 86 years of records, with an average temperature of 25.59°C, a significant 1.3°C above the baseline. This trend aligns with the broader global picture, as global land temperatures for the same three-month period also ranked as the 2nd warmest on record. Belize's annual average temperature for 2025 was 26.66°C, making it the warmest year on record.
What’s driving change?
Belize is currently experiencing its typical hot, dry season, with a heat alert issued in late April as inland temperatures were expected to reach or exceed 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36.1°C). The country is also facing drought conditions, with a short-term drought likely to develop over the northern and southeastern parts of the country through July 2026, and a long-term drought evolving over the Toledo District. This is further exacerbated by the influence of ENSO, with El Niño conditions highly likely to develop by July, leading to more frequent and severe drought events, particularly affecting rain-fed agriculture. The continued, unusual warmth in the Tropical North Atlantic Ocean also implies severe weather activity and potential for flooding from April or May onwards.
Looking ahead
Belize is expected to experience a difficult and challenging year, especially in the agricultural sector, due to a potentially strong El Niño and associated water deficits.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Belize
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Belize changing?
Belize is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Belize come from?
Climate data for Belize comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Belize climate data cover?
The Belize climate profile covers Belize City, San Ignacio, Belmopan, Orange Walk and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Belize
How often is the Belize climate update refreshed?
The Belize climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.