Hot and dry today; but rain on the way

The Mopan River
(Bullet Tree Falls village)

PATRICK E. JONES Reporting: It is another hot day in beautiful Belize, as fair and mostly dry conditions will push the heat level to the high end of the thermometer.  But rain is on the way as a weak cold front approaches the country.

The general forecast for Belize and her coastal waters is for sunny skies with cloudy spells.  Then the change will come this afternoon with an increase in showers and isolated thunderstorms starting over inland areas and then spreading southward tonight.

Winds are easterly to southeasterly at 5 to 15 knots.  The sea state is choppy.

High temperatures today will be around 90 degrees Fahrenheit along coastal areas; 95 degrees Fahrenheit inland and a cool 78 degrees Fahrenheit up in the hills.

Low temperatures tonight will fall to 7- degrees Fahrenheit along the coast; 68 degrees Fahrenheit inland and a cool 60 degrees Fahrenheit up in the hills.

There will be a low tide at 1:32 this afternoon. A high tide will occur at 7:36 tonight.  The sun will set at 6:02 this evening and rise again 12 hours later at 6:02 am on Thursday.

The extended forecast, valid through to Friday is for cloudy skies at times with a few showers and isolated thunderstorms mainly over the south on Thursday night.

And that is a look at the weather, with information provided by forecaster Francisca Wellington at the Belize Weather Bureau.