Climate zones in Belize, 1991 to 2020
Share of Belize's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 26,839 map cells used cover 98% of the country's outline (about 22,012 km²).
By major group: A (tropical) 100%.
Am, tropical monsoon, is the main climate of Belize, covering 60% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with Af (tropical rainforest) next at 21%. In plain terms, tropical monsoon means hot all year, with a very wet season and a short dry spell. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 22% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to Aw (tropical savannah).
How Belize's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 32% | 0.6% | Aw +17.4 percentage points | Af -13.6 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 16% | 0% | Aw +7.3 percentage points | Af -8.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 22% | 0% | Aw +11.6 percentage points | Af -10.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 43% | 0% | Aw +26.3 percentage points | Af -16.4 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Am Tropical monsoon | 63% | 60% | 60% | 58% | 50% |
| Af Tropical rainforest | 35% | 21% | 13% | 11% | 4.5% |
| Aw Tropical savannah | 2.1% | 20% | 27% | 31% | 46% |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | 0.5% | - | - | - | - |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 0.1% | - | - | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Zones found in Belize
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Am. See data sources and licences.