On July 13, 2026, the Belizean capital of Belmopan faced an unprecedented weather event over the weekend, as a passing tropical wave unleashed a volume of rainfall equivalent to a full month’s average precipitation in a mere 12-hour window. According to Ronald Gordon, Chief of the National Meteorological Service of Belize, official instruments recorded a staggering 273.4 millimeters (10.8 inches) of rain across the capital between midnight and midday Saturday, as the tropical wave tracked across the nation. To contextualize this extraordinary deluge, Belmopan’s long-term average rainfall for the entire month of July is just 245 millimeters (9.7 inches) — meaning the capital accumulated more than 100% of its expected monthly rain in half a day.
While the most intense activity from the initial tropical wave has moved past the region, Gordon warned that the country remains at elevated risk of additional flooding and weather disruption. Belize is not yet in the clear, he emphasized, as a second organized weather system is already advancing toward the country and is projected to pass across the nation sometime on July 14. This approaching system has already begun pushing excess moisture into the region, with precipitation already redeveloping across the southern two-thirds of Belize from early morning into the afternoon of July 13. Current weather models predict that scattered showers and thunderstorms will persist through the night and into the passage of the new system, with projected maximum rainfall totals between two and three additional inches across affected areas.
The current 24-hour rainfall record for Belmopan stands at 13.1 inches, set in a 2022 extreme weather event. While this weekend’s total fell just short of that all-time mark, the 10.8-inch 12-hour accumulation marks a highly unusual and disruptive weather event for the capital, particularly as soils and drainage infrastructure are already pushed to capacity ahead of the incoming second storm system.
This report is adapted from a transcript of a televised evening newscast, originally published online.