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The climate of Dominican Republic
Most parts of the Dominican Republic have a tropical savannah climate.
Type Aw according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. Because
of the rainfall all year round the north eastern part of the country
has a tropical rainforest climate (type Af). Temperatures in these
areas are between 28-33 degrees Celsius all year round. During the
night temperatures hardly ever drop below 20 degrees Celsius with the
exception of the higher regions and the interior. Because of the large
amounts of precipitation the south western tip of the Dominican
Republic has a warm steppe climate (type Bsh). The Dominican Republic
is one of the most popular sun destinations outside Europe. This is
because of the excellent weather, the many beautiful hotels and the
beautiful beaches. The tropical white beaches of
Punta Cana and Bavaro
are without a doubt among the most beautiful in the Caribbean and even
in the world. Many photographs of white palm beaches with an azure
blue sea and a bright deep blue sky have been taken here. The frequent
cloudy skies make for a nice contrast with the blue skies. During the
winter these photographs make you long for a holiday.
Climate information of places and areas in Dominican Republic
The climate information on this page is only brief. Specific
information about weather and climate can be found on the climate
pages per area or town. As for Dominican Republic the following climate
information is available:
Frost
The Dominican Republic is the only country in the Caribbean where
subzero temperatures occur. According to the latest records this is
the highest mountain of the Caribbean (3098 meters). Subzero
temperatures are not uncommon here. During the winter months the frost
line may drop several hundreds of meters and even the inhabited areas
get frost and ice. During the winter of 2006/2007 the forests
surrounding the mountain city of Constanza (1220 meters) where covered
with a small layer of ice. This phenomenon attracted many of the
islands inhabitants.
Summer in the Dominican Republic
The summer months in the Dominican Republic are warm and moist and
relatively sunny. Temperatures at sea level are around 31-32 degrees
Celsius on the entire island. The island gets about 8 hours of
sunshine per day. During the months of July and August Punta Cana gets
9 hours of sunshine per day. During these months it frequently happens
that the inland is cloudy but Punta Cana remains sunny. However,
rainfall is not uncommon. Most of the regions in the Dominican
Republic get more rain during the summer months than during the winter
months. The south coast and the higher regions have a real wet season
during the summer. A large amount of rain can fall within a short
period of time, especially in the mountains. Whoever goes into the
mountains either by mountain bike or on foot needs to bear in mind
that the weather can change very rapidly. In the morning it may be
sunny, but in the course of the day torrential downpours may develop
which prevent you from seeing anything at all.
Hurricanes
The Dominican Republic is situated in a region with frequent hurricane
activity. From June till the end of November hurricanes may occur.
They usually come from the east. Just like most of the other islands
in this region the Dominican Republic may get hit by a hurricane.
Chances of hurricanes shouldn’t be exaggerated because this phenomenon
doesn’t happen every year and when it does it usually happens in a
small part of the country. When there is a serious threat of a
hurricane, the authorities will take precautions in time. In the worst
case scenario some parts may get evacuated or you can’t travel for 1
or 2 days. Casualties or wounded hardly ever occur among tourists
because the hotels can withstand fierce storms and hurricanes. Chances
of a tropical depression are higher. This is often accompanied by a
lot of rainfall and fierce winds in a short amount of time. However,
this type of weather is usually short lived. Usually you can enjoy the
beaches again after 1 or 2 days.
Winter
Winters in the Dominican Republic are not much colder than the summer.
During the day temperatures at sea level are still around 30 degrees
Celsius. This makes the Dominican Republic an excellent winter sun
destination. Whoever goes on their honeymoon to the Dominican Republic
and wants to be assured of sunshine best travels to either the east
coast (Punta Cana, Bavaro) or the south coast (Santo Domingo, Boca Chica). These places are much drier during the winter than during the
summer.
UV-index
The UV-index in the Dominican Republic is high. A large part of the
year the highest figure is reached (UV-index 11). Going into the
sunshine unprotected is not sensible; unless it is for a very short
period of time (10-15 minutes). All the year round the use of
sunscreen with a high protective factor (with a minimum of 30) can be
recommended, even for those who don’t get sunburn that quickly. During
the winter these figures are not much lower. The months of November,
December, January, February and October are a little milder for your
skin. Bear in mind that the UV-index can still be compared to the
index figures during the summer in Spain.
Precipitation
The tropical climate in the Dominican Republic doesn’t only bring much
warmth and sunshine but also rain and relatively high humidity
figures. Depending on the region and seasonal influences reasonable
amounts of rain fall. In the north eastern part in the regions
surrounding Samana and Las Terrenas quite a lot of precipitation can
be expected all year round. The National Park of Los Haitises benefits
from the large quantities of rain. Not only do big differences occur
per region or per month, it is not always the same every year either
and it is possible that certain regions show large deviations compared
to the long term records. If you are lucky you get more sunshine, if
you are unlucky you get more rain than usual.
Climate figures
The figures below are based on long term weather and climate
records and are an average for the Dominican Republic. Please, note
that local deviations may occur, especially in the field of possible
precipitation quantities.
More climate information
Climate figures are very useful but don’t present a general impression
of the climate and the eventual weather circumstances within a certain
period. The figures don’t always reflect the chance of wintry weather,
extreme heat or hurricanes. That is why we monthly offer useful extra
climate information. The information below is an average for the
Dominican Republic. Please visit the pages on individual climate
information for other places in the Dominican Republic.
Disclaimer
The information at this site was carefully composed from climate data collected by meteorological services, meteorological offices, climate experts and other sources. “More climate info” is based on statistics, climate data and personal experience. No rights can be derived from this site. Weather has no memory and gives no guaranties. Nothing is as changeable and unpredictable as the weather. The authors of this site feel in no way responsible for any damages caused by misinterpretation or other circumstances that may influence your holiday or trip to a certain destination. We provide information, it’s up to the reader to use it to it’s benefit.
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= 0-5 mm ●
= 6-30 mm ●
= 31-60 mm ●
= 61-100 mm ●
= 101-200 mm ●
=
over 200 mm
