Editing Belize (section)

===Climate===

{{see also|Hurricanes in Belize}}
[[File:Koppen-Geiger Map BLZ present cropped.svg|thumb|upright=1.1|Köppen climate classification of Belize]]
Belize has a [[tropical climate]] with pronounced [[wet season|wet]] and [[dry season]]s, although there are significant variations in weather patterns by region. Temperatures vary according to elevation, proximity to the coast, and the moderating effects of the northeast trade winds off the Caribbean. Average temperatures in the coastal regions range from {{convert|24|°C|°F|1|abbr=on}} in January to {{convert|27|°C|°F|1|abbr=on}} in July. Temperatures are slightly higher inland, except for the southern highland plateaus, such as the [[Mountain Pine Ridge]], where it is noticeably cooler year round. Overall, the seasons are marked more by differences in humidity and rainfall than in temperature.

Average rainfall varies considerably, from {{convert|1350|mm|in}} in the north and west to over {{convert|4500|mm|in}} in the extreme south. Seasonal differences in rainfall are greatest in the northern and central regions of the country where, between January and April or May, less than {{convert|100|mm|in|1}} of rainfall per month. The dry season is shorter in the south, normally only lasting from February to April. A shorter, less rainy period, known locally as the "little dry", usually occurs in late July or August, after the onset of the rainy season.

'''Hurricanes'''

[[Tropical cyclone|Hurricanes]] have played key—and devastating—roles in [[History of Belize|Belizean history]]. In 1931, an unnamed hurricane destroyed over two-thirds of the buildings in Belize City and killed more than 1,000 people. In 1955, [[Hurricane Janet]] levelled the northern town of [[Corozal Town|Corozal]]. Only six years later, [[Hurricane Hattie]] struck the central coastal area of the country, with winds in excess of {{convert|300|km/h|mph|abbr=on|round=5}} and {{convert|4|m|ft|0|abbr=on|adj=on}} [[storm tide]]s. The devastation of Belize City for the second time in thirty years prompted the relocation of the capital some {{convert|80|km|mi|0}} inland to the [[planned city]] of [[Belmopan]].

In 1978, [[Hurricane Greta-Olivia|Hurricane Greta]] caused more than US$25&nbsp;million in damage along the southern coast. In 2000, [[Hurricane Keith]], the wettest tropical cyclone in the nation's record, stalled, and hit the nation as a Category 4 storm on 1 October, causing 19 deaths and at least $280 million in damage. Soon after, on 9 October 2001, [[Hurricane Iris]] made landfall at [[Monkey River Town]] as a {{convert|145|mph|km/h|abbr=on|round=5|order=flip}} Category 4 storm. The storm demolished most of the homes in the village, and destroyed the banana crop. In 2007, [[Hurricane Dean]] made landfall as a Category 5 storm only {{convert|25|mi|km|abbr=on|order=flip}} north of the Belize–Mexico border. Dean caused extensive damage in northern Belize.

In 2010, Belize was directly affected by the Category 2 [[Hurricane Richard]], which made landfall approximately {{convert|20|mi|km|order=flip}} south-southeast of Belize City at around 00:45 UTC on 25 October 2010.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Brown |first1=Daniel |last2=Berg |first2=Robbie |name-list-style=amp |date=25 October 2010 |title=Hurricane Richard Discussion Seventeen |publisher=National Hurricane Center |access-date=25 October 2010 |url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2010/al19/al192010.discus.017.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101029230303/http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2010/al19/al192010.discus.017.shtml |archive-date=29 October 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> The storm moved inland towards [[Belmopan]], causing estimated damage of [[Belize dollar|BZ$]]33.8&nbsp;million ($17.4&nbsp;million 2010&nbsp;USD), primarily from damage to crops and housing.<ref>{{Cite web|title=You searched for 33.8|url=https://www.reporter.bz/search/33.8|access-date=2021-11-23|website=Reporter|language=en-US|archive-date=29 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529144034/https://www.reporter.bz/search/33.8|url-status=usurped}}</ref> The most recent hurricane to make landfall in Belize was [[Hurricane Lisa (2022)|Hurricane Lisa]] in 2022. [[Extreme weather]] events, such as [[Tropical cyclone|hurricanes]] and floods, have become more frequent and intense due to climate change.<ref name=":102">{{Cite book |last=UNFCC |url=https://unfccc.int/documents/630427 |title=BELIZE: A CASE STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE CLIMATE RESILIENT FOOD SYSTEMS ALLIANCE |date=December 2022}}</ref>

'''Climate change'''

Belize is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its low-lying coastal areas, diverse ecosystems, and economic reliance on tourism and agriculture.<ref name=":102"/> As a country, Belize's 2023 [[greenhouse gas emissions]] are relatively low (7.46 million tonnes), however, it ranks as the 13th highest country for per capita emissions, at 18.13 tonnes per person.<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last1=Jones |first1=Matthew W. |last2=Peters |first2=Glen P. |last3=Gasser |first3=Thomas |last4=Andrew |first4=Robbie M. |last5=Schwingshackl |first5=Clemens |last6=Gütschow |first6=Johannes |last7=Houghton |first7=Richard A. |last8=Friedlingstein |first8=Pierre |last9=Pongratz |first9=Julia |last10=Le Quéré |first10=Corinne |date=2023-03-29 |title=National contributions to climate change due to historical emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide since 1850 |url=https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02041-1 |journal=Scientific Data |volume=10 |issue=1 |page=155 |doi=10.1038/s41597-023-02041-1 |pmid=36991071 |pmc=10060593 |bibcode=2023NatSD..10..155J |issn=2052-4463|hdl=11250/3119366 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ritchie |first1=Hannah |last2=Rosado |first2=Pablo |last3=Roser |first3=Max |date=2024-01-05 |title=Greenhouse gas emissions |url=https://ourworldindata.org/greenhouse-gas-emissions |journal=Our World in Data |language=en}}</ref> [[Land use]] change and [[forestry]] together is the highest source of emissions in Belize.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |last=Climate Action Watch |title=Belize |url=https://www.climatewatchdata.org/countries/BLZ?end_year=2021&start_year=1990 |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=www.climatewatchdata.org}}</ref> The government has committed to [[Net-zero emissions|net zero emissions]] by 2050 and has developed [[climate resilience]] and [[Climate change adaptation|adaptation]] plans.<ref name=":11" />