Residents across the Dominican Republic are bracing for a day of contrasting weather on Sunday, with localized showers in the east and capital region forecast to give way to heavier thunderstorms in central and western areas, paired with dangerously high heat indexes, according to the country’s national meteorological service. The Dominican Institute of Meteorology, better known by its local acronym Indomet, traced the day’s precipitation to residual moisture left behind by a passing tropical wave, combined with atmospheric pressure from a trough moving across the region.
Early Sunday morning will bring scattered isolated showers to several eastern and southern coastal provinces, including La Altagracia, La Romana, San Pedro de Macorís, San Cristóbal, and the broader Santo Domingo metropolitan area. As the day progresses into the afternoon, the weather system will shift west and inland, bringing moderate to heavy downpours, thunderstorms, and sudden gusty winds to provinces including Hato Mayor, Monte Plata, La Vega, Santiago Rodríguez, San Juan, Dajabón, and Elías Piña. For the remainder of the country, forecasters predict mostly clear sunny conditions with only gradual, minor increases in cloud cover through the day.
Beyond rainfall, Indomet warned that sweltering heat will intensify across the nation on Sunday, building on hot and hazy conditions that were already forecast for Saturday, which also included expected Saharan dust intrusion. A combination of high baseline temperatures and elevated humidity will push the heat index — a measure of how hot conditions actually feel to the human body — into dangerous territory.
In response to the dangerous heat forecast, Indomet has issued a series of public safety recommendations for all residents, with extra guidance for vulnerable groups. The agency urged people to drink water regularly to maintain hydration, wear loose, light-colored clothing that reflects heat, and avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight between the peak heat hours of 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. It also advised the public to stay in cool, well-ventilated spaces as much possible during these hours, and to cut back on strenuous outdoor activity. Young children, pregnant people, and older adults are flagged as particularly vulnerable to heat-related illness, so extra precautions are recommended for these groups.
Breaking down the forecast for the four sections of the Santo Domingo metropolitan area — National District, Santo Domingo Norte, Santo Domingo Oeste, and Santo Domingo Este — all four zones are expected to see gradual increases in cloud cover through the day, paired with isolated showers, possible thunderstorms, and occasional gusty winds. Nationwide, overnight low temperatures Saturday into Sunday are expected to range between 23°C and 25°C, while afternoon high temperatures will reach between 33°C and 35°C across most of the country.