Authorities in the Dominican Republic have issued an early green weather alert for five northern provinces, ahead of an incoming low pressure trough set to bring unstable atmospheric conditions to the region starting this weekend. The announcement was made jointly by the country’s Emergency Operations Center (COE) and the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet) during an official press conference held this Friday.
The green alert, the lowest level of weather warning, is in effect for the provinces of Montecristi, Puerto Plata, Valverde, Dajabón, and Santiago Rodríguez. According to COE, the two-day advance warning was deliberately issued ahead of the trough’s arrival on Sunday because the system is expected to impact the country over the weekend, a period when more residents are typically engaged in outdoor activities and travel.
Impacts from the weather system are projected to begin in the late afternoon of Sunday, with unsettled conditions continuing through to next Wednesday. The head of Indomet, Gloria Ceballos, noted that the country has experienced unusual weather patterns throughout the month of May. While soil moisture levels across the affected region have not reached saturation point, Ceballos confirmed that the atmosphere will become highly unstable over the coming days, bringing the risk of severe weather events.
This early weather alert comes on the heels of a separate preventive order issued recently by COE related to hydrological operations. The agency previously banned all recreational activities including crossing, swimming, and bathing in rivers, streams, and ravines along the Nizao River, particularly stretching from the Las Barías Counter Reservoir to the tributary’s mouth. The ban was put in place to accommodate controlled water regulation operations at the Valdesia Hydroelectric Plant, and COE has distributed guidance on protective steps for communities residing along the river corridor to mitigate risks from the scheduled operations.