CLIMATE

Most of the Dominican Republic enjoys beautiful tropical weather all year round, with an average annual temperature hovering around 25°C degres (77° F). The Dominican Republic's climate is often described as "the endless summer", thanks to the warm and sunny wheather pretty much all over the country.

There are slight variations between Summer and Winter The winter season spans from November to April. The humidity is relatively low during these months and the temperature tends to cool down in the evenings much more than during the summer months. The coastal/beach regions generally experience highs of around 28°C (83°F) during daytime and lows of about 20°C (68°F) in the evening. The mountainous part of the country is considerably cooler, and on the highest mountain peaks the thermometer can sometimes drop below freezing point. On rare occasions frost can even be seen on the top of these peaks.

The summer season in the Dominican Republic runs from May to October. Average daily highs for the coastal/beach regions rise to around 31°C (87°F) during the day, dropping down to about 22°C (72°F) at night. It is the higher level of humidity during this season that makes it feel much warmer during this season.

Regardless of season, the coolest areas of the country is the Cordillera Central mountain region, around Jarabacoa and Constanza, where the average highs hovers around 16°C (61°F). The desert regions in the Southwest of the country experience the highest average temperatures, at times soaring to over 40°C (104°F). The Northern areas of the Dominican Republic experience their greatest rainfall between May and November. Torrential downpour-like conditions can certainly occur in all areas of the Dominican Republic but the majority of this type of rainfall occurs in short bursts. Other than major storms that may move through a particular region, most showers do not last and the sun starts shining againwithin a half hour.

The differences between the summer and winter seasons are not always consistent. Regardless of what is "typical", the Dominican Republic, like anywhere, can experience abnormal weather patterns. That said, visitors to the Dominican Republic can generally expect long periods of sunshine and blue skies at any time of the year.

Dominican Republic is located in the hurricane belt, so some the country is subject to severe storms from June to October. Statistically, most of the hurricane activity in the Dominican Republic happens between August and September.

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