Dominican Republic Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Santo Domingo, Santiago, La Romana, San Pedro de Macorís, and San Cristóbal
Summary
The Dominican Republic recorded its 2nd warmest July on record in 87 years of tracking, with mean temperatures reaching 26.87°C. Sustained atmospheric pressure and high humidity pushed real-feel heat indices up to 46°C in north-western and border provinces, prompting national heat warnings. This regional surge coincides with a moderate El Niño forecast to peak at Very Strong in Sep-Nov, with elevated temperatures and dry conditions expected to persist over the coming months.
This month in numbers
The mean temperature of 26.87°C in July 2026 was 1.7°C above the 1961-1990 baseline, making it the 2nd warmest such month on record since 1940, behind only 2023. Across the May-July period, average temperatures reached 26.26°C, marking a +1.6°C anomaly and the 2nd warmest such three-month stretch in 87 years. Globally, the land temperature for the same single month registered 15.8°C, standing 1.6°C above average as the 3rd highest July figure on record.
What changed
The recent warmth continues a clear long-term warming trend across the country. Long-term records show the Dominican Republic has warmed by +0.99°C compared to its 1961-1990 baseline, with 2025 ranking as the 3rd warmest full year on record at 24.94°C. On the global stage, the country placed 105th out of 232 tracked regions for its single-month anomaly (+1.74°C) and 92nd for its three-month anomaly (+1.62°C), sitting near the global middle while tropical humidity exacerbated local heat impacts.
What’s driving change?
The key driver behind this elevated warmth is ENSO, as a moderate El Niño continues to influence atmospheric patterns across the Caribbean basin. Tracked on our live map at ENSO, El Niño typically suppresses Atlantic rainfall while elevating regional air temperatures. Additionally, stagnant high-pressure have trapped solar radiation over the island, driving heat index values well beyond actual ambient temperatures.
Looking ahead
Official forecasts indicate a 93% probability that El Niño will intensify to Very Strong levels through autumn, maintaining above-average temperatures and lingering drought risks across the Dominican Republic over the coming months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – Global
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance (countries & continents) · Met Office (UK) · US states & climate regions. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Dominican Republic
Köppen Am · TropicalDominican Republic has a tropical climate (Köppen Am: Tropical monsoon), with only modest temperature variation through the year, but a pronounced wet and dry season. August is typically the warmest month, averaging 26.3°C, while January is the coldest at 22.8°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1334mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly precipitation.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Dominican Republic
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Dominican Republic
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Dominican Republic
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Dominican Republic
Latest month is provisional and may be revised by the data provider in the next update cycle.
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Records – Dominican Republic
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Wet / dry seasonsKöppen Am · TropicalDominican Republic doesn't have a warm/cold cycle - its monthly temperature range is only 3.6°C across the year - but it does have a strong wet/dry cycle (the wettest month gets 3× as much rain as the driest). So we track how the wet season has shifted instead.
Monthly precipitation climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Jun (-52 mm, -37%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Climate Systems
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Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Dominican Republic
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
Country-level temperature anomaly, sourced from Copernicus ERA5 and Hadley HadCRUT5.
Annual country and global CO₂ emissions, from the Global Carbon Project.
Monthly rainfall - Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD) preferred, World Bank CCKP/CRU TS fallback where GPCC lacks direct coverage.
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Dominican Republic changing?
Dominican Republic is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Dominican Republic?
Dominican Republic has a tropical climate (Köppen Am: Tropical monsoon), with only modest temperature variation through the year, but a pronounced wet and dry season. August is typically the warmest month, averaging 26.3°C, while January is the coldest at 22.8°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1334mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Where does the climate data for Dominican Republic come from?
Climate data for Dominican Republic comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Dominican Republic climate data cover?
The Dominican Republic climate profile covers Santo Domingo, Santiago, La Romana, San Pedro de Macorís and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Dominican Republic
How often is the Dominican Republic climate update refreshed?
The Dominican Republic climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Dominican Republic climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Dominican Republic climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.