Best time to visit Punta Cana
The best time to visit Punta Cana is anytime between December and mid-April, with daily temperatures averaging 25°C (77°F), rising to an average high of 29°C (84°F).
Despite the heat of summer and occasional rain showers, Punta Cana is a year-round holiday destination.
Punta Cana weather
Located on the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana has a tropical climate year-round, with a hot, muggy season from May to October, and a cooler, drier seaon from December to March.
Temperatures are fairly uniform year-round.
What is the best month to visit Punta Cana?
January, February and March are the best months to visit Punta Cana, since this is the least rainy time of year, with warm, sunny weather, mainly clear skies and good conditions for swimming.
Which is the hottest month in Punta Cana?
The hottest month in Punta Cana is usually August, with an average daily high temperature of 32°C (89°F) with high heat and humidity, and a low of 24°C (75°F).
The hot season lasts from early-June to mid-October, with an average daily high temperature above 30°C (86°F).
Which is the coldest month in Punta Cana?
The coldest month in Punta Cana is January, with an average low temperature of 21°C (70°F) and an average high temperature of 29°C (84°F).
The cool season lasts from mid-December through to mid-March, with an average daily high temperature below 29°C (84°F).
Which is the sunniest month in Punta Cana?
The sunniest month of the year in Punta Cana is usually March, with nine hours of bright sunshine per day; that's an average of 74% of daylight hours.
What is the humidity in Punta Cana?
Punta Cana experiences little seasonal seasonal variation in perceived humidity, with approximate average relative humidity calculated at 85% over the course of the year. Typically, it's humid all year round.
What do the humidity conditions feel like in Punta Cana?
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 Punta Cana is 23°C (73°F), and varies over the course of the year from humid at 21°C (70°F) to unpleasantly muggy and oppressive at 24°C (75°F).
When is the sea warmest in Punta Cana?
The sea is usually at its warmest in Punta Cana 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 Punta Cana.
Which month has the most rain in Punta Cana?
November is usually the wettest months in Punta Cana with around 129mm (5in) of rainfall, distributed across 12 days on average.
The wet season lasts from late-April through December, with a greater than 17% chance of any given day being a wet day.
Most of the rain falls as brief tropical downpours mainly in the evening, allowing many hours of sunny weather during the day.
The drier season lasts from January through April. The month with the least rainfall in Punta Cana is March.
Which is the windiest month in Punta Cana?
The windiest month of the year in Punta Cana is December, with an average hourly wind speed of 21 kilometres per hour (11 knots; 13mph).
The windy part of the year lasts from mid-November through April, with average wind speeds of more than 19 kilometres per hour (10 knots; 12mph).
The less-windy time of year lasts from early-May through to mid-November. The calmest month of the year in Punta Cana is October, with an average hourly wind speed of 16 kilometres per hour (8 knots; 10mph).
The predominant average hourly wind direction in Punta Cana is from the east throughout the year.
Is there a risk of a tropical storm in Punta Cana?
The likelihood of a tropical storm in Punta Cana 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.
Punta Cana Weather Averages
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Average high temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 30 |
| Average low temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 21 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 22 |
| Average daily sunshine (hrs) | |||||||||||
| 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| Average daily daylight (hrs) | |||||||||||
| 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
| Comfort level – heat | |||||||||||
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| Comfort level – humidity (#muggy days) | |||||||||||
| 30 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 30 |
| Average dew point temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | |||||||||||
| 78 | 77 | 76 | 77 | 79 | 80 | 78 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 82 | 79 |
| UV Index (max) | |||||||||||
| 8 | 10 | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11 | 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Average days of rainfall (≥1mm) | |||||||||||
| 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
| Average monthly rainfall (mm) | |||||||||||
| 71 | 89 | 55 | 60 | 106 | 63 | 68 | 107 | 98 | 95 | 129 | 83 |
| Average wind speed (km/h) | |||||||||||
| 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 21 |
| Average sea temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
| Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | |||||||||||
Holiday seasons
High season: Mid-December to mid-April;
Low season: From May to November, with discounts on hotels, car rentals and tours.
Punta Cana weather by month
Source: Meteorological data for Punta Cana, Dominican Republic is based on weather statistics gathered for the period 2012 to 2021 from the closest weather station: Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), located 5km (3mi) east of Punta Cana. Additional climate data is sourced from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
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 Punta Cana: 4 July, 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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