Rainy Season in the Dominican Republic

Time to bring out the umbrellas, after months of sunny days, clear blue sky and no rain. The rain must fall now to balance everything out. No doom and gloom, everyday life still goes on.

Rain season is upon us here in Dominican Republic. To those who are not aware, the rainy season is from April to June, also from September through November. No, it doesn't rain everyday from morning to night, but it can happen. It's hard to explain, because it could rain theoretically off and on throughout the day, or it could rain late at night while being sunny all throughout the day. It could rain hard for 5 minutes straight, and then become sunny right after leaving no trace of rain or a puddle in sight. “ah hombe eso fue una llovisnita” is what Dominicans say when it’s a quick and heavy rain shower, rain that just comes and goes in a matter of minutes. Staying inside hiding from the rain is for the weak lol. Out here people never let the rain stop them from going out. During the rain, you can find people outside holding shelter with expectations that it will stop raining any time soon. We’re in the month of May now, and since April it’s rained mostly in the early afternoon. It's a misconception that rain season means rain every day. Sometimes, you can see the dark clouds hovering over the mountains and inching closer and closer. There are so many times that it looks like a heavy storm, with thunder and lightning coming, but then nothing happens. So, we've learned to call the bluff of the storm, and not go inside unless the rain really comes down.  

Thunderstorms in Dominican Republic are significantly louder than what we're used to in North America. For a storm chaser this is your time to shine lol, but for those who are not into loud intense thunderstorm lighting sounds, it's best to view it from the inside of your home. The thunderstorms sounds are the loudest I’ve ever heard, you'd think that everyone would be running to shelter, but then again this is Dominican Republic lol. The few people are still outside, I look out my window and see some people walking. I guess they are used to it and the loud thunder and lightning sounds don't rattle them at all. While looking outside from the window inside the home, lighting strikes and the whole area lights up, it resembles a dark room, and the light switch was turned on then turned back off. Generally, thunderstorms don't last too long, they pass by fairly quickly. Usually 5 - 30 minutes, and the odd time much longer. I enjoy sitting on the balcony with a clear view of a storm happening in the distance towards the mountains. Watching the lightning strike while it's not raining at all in my area. This happens quite often during the nights and can go on for days, where it's a thunderstorm from a distance, but where I am it's not raining at all, and that storm is too far away to hear any sound. 

hurricane flood

Hurricanes, the hurricane season was my main concern with living in Dominican Republic, because of the island is on the hurricane belt, originally it was a cause of concern. My plan was that I would pay attention to the news on coming storms and act, accordingly, fly out if the reports were worst case scenario. Then with the research on this topic, throughout all the Caribbean and conversations with some locals, my worries were eased and no longer was a cause for concern. Hurricanes don’t always touch the Dominican Republic. Historically, most hurricanes are in the month of September. The severe hurricanes are rare in Dominican Republic and the last one happened over 20 years ago or so. With today's technology we are able to get key information (alerts) in order to plan accordingly. Not everywhere on the island is prone to hurricanes. research shows, that in over 60 years of hurricane record keeping there has never been hurricane force winds recorded on the north coast of the island. Most of the houses are built with concrete, these secure homes are made to be strong and sturdy for the worst of storms. Personally, In my time here I haven't seen anyone worrying about the hurricane season or fretting about it. Concrete homes are great infrastructure to protect from hurricanes, but the location helps also. There are some vulnerable areas of the country, that with a heavy storm for days on, there are floods. Also, living too close to the water and a non concrete home leaves those venerable. Last year we were on alert of a hurricane that was gaining strength and heading towards the Island. The time the storm got here it had lost strength, and the outcome was light rain for about 4 days straight. During the hurricane season, It’s best to keep up with the latest developments, ensuring your safety.

dry season typical day

The dry season is the time when there is minimal rainfall, and this will go on from December until April. In Dominican Republic, March is known as the driest month of the year. During this time, it can go for weeks or months without rain fall, giving us clear blue skies and sunny days. Winter months in North America are the dry season in Dominican Republic, and this would explain why it's the most traveled time to the island and why ticket prices are at peak. Definitely a good time to be here, a lot of events are scheduled for those high tourist months. The dry season sounds lovely, the shoes stays clean, hair doesn't get wet, you won't get soaked. There are so many things that people would love about the dry season, but we must keep in mind if there is so much of significant time of no rain, the local people start hoping rain can fall from the sky. The rain and the rivers are the supply of water for the country. A long period of no water can get really worrisome for some districts in the country. There are districts that have and maintain a steady water supply, and then there are the other districts that have shown their lack of water supply. With the ongoing efforts from the government of Dominican Republic, water supply across all the districts is a priority. Water is serviced to those who may need, and the odd time it may rain too. So, those odd times when it does rain during the dry season, it’s very useful and refreshing for all and the plants, trees and harvesting. With all things considered, the dry season is a wonderful duration of time and should be enjoyed.