Belize Receives New Marine Monitoring Stations to Strengthen Weather Forecasting

Belize is strengthening its ability to monitor marine and weather conditions following the donation of three advanced marine monitoring stations from the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, known as CIMH. During a ceremony held today, Chief Meteorologist of the National Meteorological Service, Ronald Gordon, accepted the equipment from Courtney Forde, who led the CIMH mission in Belize. The newly acquired systems, valued at approximately sixty-six thousand Belize dollars, include SOFAR weather monitoring buoys, floats, moorings, integrated sensors, anchors, and other mooring accessories. Chief Meteorologist Ronald Gordon explained how the new technology will enhance the National Meteorological Service’s ability to monitor weather and marine conditions.

Ronald Gordon, Chief Meteorologist: “We do have a vast network of weather stations on land and we do have some offshore as well as some of the cayes but these stations currently do not measure oceanic variables, they measure atmospheric variables such as the wind speed and temperature and so forth. These stations now will assist us to look at wave conditions to monitor the temperature, sea surface temperature as well as temperature within the water column. These are important parameters for various reasons. When we do issue a marine forecast, for example we speak about the wave height. Currently, we get that from models. We speak about sea conditions we sort of estimate those. But now, with having these stations there to actually give us a value we. arebetter be able to produce that marine forecast. So in other words, it’s a very important, very important donation, very important equipment that will not only benefit the National Met Service but certainly several of our partners such as the Belize Port Authority, the Fisheries Department, the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute and several NGOs that are actually collaborating with us in the deployment of these equipment.”

The stations will be deployed at three key marine locations—English Caye, Glover’s Reef, and the Southern Turneffe Atoll—where they will collect critical data on ocean and atmospheric conditions.

Ronald Gordon, Chief Meteorologist “We did a site visit along with the Belize Port Authority and again with those agencies that I mentioned. They were the ones that assist us in selecting these particular locations. One important factor that we need to look at is communication. So we need spaces where there is adequate communication because these equipment or these stations will be transmitting data in real time. So you must have access to. We hopefully would want to have internet if not we use satellite to communicate. But another important aspect is that the nature of the equipment, they require a certain seafloor condition, they require a certain depth. And those particular locations are ideal for those. And last but not least, those locations are also very, areas where we can actually see the impact of systems coming into the country. So I think those locations would be very useful for us. However, just to add here that we do plan to install more of these stations into the future through different projects. So not because a station is not installed at a particular location right now, it doesn’t mean we won’t get one installed there. We’re hoping to build that capacity in marine monitoring and forecasting as we move forward. So certainly, we do expect that in the future, we’ll have more of these stations across our marine space.”

The donation strengthens Belize’s ability to monitor ocean conditions through improved technology and real-time data. Gordon welcomed the support, thanking the financing institution and regional partners for their continued collaboration in enhancing the country’s weather monitoring and disaster preparedness efforts.