The Dominican Republic has a tropical rainforest climate in the coastal and lowland areas. Due to its diverse topography, Dominican Republic’s climate shows considerable variation over short distances and is the most varied of all the Antilles.

The annual average temperature is 25 °C (77 °F). At higher elevations the temperature averages 18 °C (64.4 °F) while near sea level the average temperature is 28 °C (82.4 °F).

January and February are the coolest months of the year while August is the hottest month. The wet season along the northern coast lasts from November through January. Elsewhere the wet season stretches from May through November, with May being the wettest month.

Tropical cyclones strike the Dominican Republic every couple of years, with 65% of the impacts along the southern coast. Hurricanes are most likely between August and October, while the Caribbean hurricane season last from june to the end of november.

In the rare instance when a hurricane comes over the island, because the north coast is sheltered by two mountain ranges, it is usually downgraded to a tropical storm, only resuming hurricane strength when it reaches the open seas.  Statistics show that the Dominican Republic has historically fared better than many other Caribbean islands or coast of the USA.