Best time to visit Dominican Republic
The best time to visit the Dominican Republic is during the winter dry season from December through April, when the weather is hot and sunny, temperatures average 25°C (77°F) rising to an average high of 30°C (86°F).
However, it can depend on where you wish to visit: the northern coast – Puerto Plato and Sabana de la Mar – has more rainfall than the south coast – Barahona, Santo Domingo and Punta Cana.
Dominican Republic weather
The Dominican Republic has a hot tropical climate year-round, with a hot, muggy season from May to October and a cooler, dry season from December to March, and little variation in temperature.
Despite the heat of summer and occasional rains, the Dominican Republic is a year-round holiday destination.
Rain falls throughout the year in the Dominican Republic, which has a higher rainfall than most Caribbean islands. However, rainfall occurs mainly as short showers and thunderstorms, which does not reduce the hours of sunshine by much. The months with fewest wet days in Dominican Republic are February and March.
The north coast receives more rainfall than the south coast; it also rains during winter since the northern coast is exposed to the north-east trade winds.
In Puerto Plata, rainfall follows a pattern opposite to the one typical of the Caribbean: usually the least rainy season is summer from June to September, while the winter season, when the north-east trade winds blow, is rainy.
What is the best month to visit the Dominican Republic?
December through to mid-April are the best months to visit the Dominican Republic, including Barahona, Santo Domingo and Punta Cana, when rainfall is at its lowest with hot, sunny weather and perfect conditions for swimming.
For Puerto Plata and Sabana de la Mar, which is located on the northern coast, the best months are from June to September, which are the least rainy months.
Weather in Puerto Plata and Punta Cana.
Here are the average temperatures of the capital, Santo Domingo, located on the southern coast of the Dominican Republic.
Which is the hottest month in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic?
The hottest month in Santo Domingo is usually September, with an average temperature of 29°C (84°F), a high of 33°C (91°F) and a low of 25°C (77°F).
The hot season lasts from mid-June to early-October, with an average high temperature above 31°C (87°F).
Which is the coldest month in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic?
The coldest month in Santo Domingo is January, with an average temperature of 26°C (79°F), a low of 22°C (71°F) and a high of 30°C (86°F).
The cool season lasts from early-December through to mid-March, with an average high temperature below 30°C (86°F).
Which is the sunniest month in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic?
The sunniest month of the year in Santo Domingo is usually February, with eight hours of bright sunshine per day; that's an average of 71% of daylight hours.
When is the sea warmest in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic?
The sea is usually at its warmest in Santo Domingo in September when the water temperature reaches 29°C (84°F), which is pleasant for swimming.
The sea water is warm enough for swimming year-round in the Dominican Republic.
Santo Domingo – Temperature averages |
(°F) | ||||||||||
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Average high temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 31 |
| Average low temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 |
| Average daily sunshine (hrs) | |||||||||||
| 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Average daily daylight (hrs) | |||||||||||
| 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
| Comfort level – heat | |||||||||||
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| Average sea temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
Weather station: Las Américas International Airport (SDQ), located 30km (18mi) east of Santo Domingo. Source: Oficina Nacional de Meteorología (ONAMET), Dominican Republic. Climate data collected during 2012 to 2021.
What is the humidity in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic?
Santo Domingo experiences little seasonal variation in perceived humidity, with approximate average relative humidity calculated at 81% over the course of the year. Typically, it's humid all year round.
What do the humidity conditions feel like in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic?
We derive the humidity comfort level – what conditions feel like – from the dew point temperature, which measures moisture content in the atmosphere: a higher dew point feels more humid, while a lower dew point feels drier.
Meteorologists agree that dew point temperature is a more consistant indication of 'absolute humidity' than relative humidity, which fluctuates with temperature.
The average annual dew point in Santo Domingo is 23°C (73°F), and varies over the course of the year from muggy at 22°C (71°F) to unpleasantly muggy and oppressive at 25°C (77°F).
The more humid time of year in Santo Domingo lasts from mid-March through to mid-January, when you can expect the comfort level to be muggy at least 90% of the time.
The months with the most muggy days in Santo Domingo are June through November, when every day in each month is muggy or worse.
The month with the fewest number of muggy days is February, with around 24 days that are muggy.
Santo Domingo – Humidity and UV averages |
(°F) | ||||||||||
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Comfort level – humidity (#muggy days) | |||||||||||
| 27 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 28 |
| Average dew point temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | |||||||||||
| 80 | 80 | 78 | 80 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 82 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 81 |
| UV Index (max) | |||||||||||
| 8 | 10 | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 10 | 9 | 7 |
Which month has the most rain in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic?
August is usually the wettest month in Santo Domingo with 176mm (7in) of rainfall on average. There are normally 11 days in May with some rainfall.
The wet season lasts from late-April to late-November, with a greater than 14% chance of any given day being a wet day.
Most of the rain falls as brief tropical downpours most often in the evening allowing many hours of sunny weather during the day.
The northern coast experiences a short wet season between November and January.
Which is the windiest month in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic?
The windiest month of the year in Santo Domingo is December, with an average hourly wind speed of 16 kilometres per hour (8 knots; 10 mph)).
The windy part of the year lasts from mid-November through to mid-May, with average wind speeds of more than 14 kilometres per hour (7 knots; 8 mph).
The less-windy time of year lasts from mid-May through to mid-November. The calmest month of the year in Santo Domingo is October, with an average hourly wind speed of 12 kilometres per hour (6 knots; 3 mph).
The predominant average hourly wind direction in Santo Domingo is from the east throughout the year.
Is there a risk of a tropical storm in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic?
The likelihood of a tropical storm in Dominican Republic is greatest during the wet season, with a risk of around 3% in September.
June to November is the official hurricane season in Dominican Republic and the Caribbean. Tropical storms and cyclones usually come from the east.
Santo Domingo – Rainfall and wind averages |
(in-mph) | ||||||||||
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Average days of rainfall (≥1mm) | |||||||||||
| 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 9 |
| Average monthly rainfall (≥mm) | |||||||||||
| 41 | 57 | 64 | 70 | 105 | 75 | 135 | 176 | 112 | 140 | 120 | 77 |
| Average wind speed (km/h) | |||||||||||
| 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 16 |
Holiday seasons
High season: Mid-December to mid-April;
Low season: From May to November, with discounts on hotels, car rentals and tours.
Advice on the best time to visit a particular destination is based on average local weather statistics, when the weather conditions are generally better than at other times of the year. We consider high and low temperatures, risk of rain (and thunderstorms, etc.), amount of sunshine and sea temperature. For general outdoor activities we favour clear, rainless days with a temperature range between 18°C (64°F) and 27°C (80°F); and for hot-weather activities we favour clear, rainless days with a temperature range between 24°C (75°F) and 32°C (89°F). Often, the best times to visit correspond to high season and therefore involve higher prices.
More about the Dominican Republic…
Latest update: Best time to visit the Dominican Republic : 7 August, 2024
Disclaimer: The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data and conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable. We assume no responsibility and can not be held legally responsible for any decisions made on the basis of the information presented on this site.
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