Worried about the weather for next week??!!!

Hel

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Aug 4, 2003
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Hello all

My boyfriend and I are coming to DR next Monday, and we cant wait! We've been looking forward to this holiday since we booked it last August! After looking on weather.com at the 10 day forecast and seeing all those black rain clouds, I am worried that the weather is not going to be what we expected. I know that you have frequent downpours that dont last long, but the outlook gives a worse picture than that.

Please could anyone give me some insight into if the forecast is correct? Will it rain all day? Is it going to be as bad as it looks on the outlook??

Please tell me no!! Thanks in advance.
 

Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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Reading your post, went on weather.com to check the weather for Santo Domingo. It reads partly cloudy -- which is correct for today. Looking outside the window of our office, there are mainly blue skies, but there are clouds.

Then I read that the forecast for the next 9 days is mainly scattered thunderstorms.

Tonight ? scattered t-storms
May 6 -- scattered t-storms
May 7 ? partly cloudy
May 8 -- scattered t-storms
May 9 -- scattered t-storms
May 10 ? t storms
May 11 -- scattered t-storms
May 12 -- scattered t-storms
May 13 scattered t-storms
May 14 scattered t-storms

I will try to remember everyday to return to this post and tell you what the weather was for the day.

All I can think is that the thunderstorm definition of weather.com is very different from rainstorms in the Caribbean, which are mostly bursts of rain that last five minutes and then the sun shines again. If you read the weather.com page, you will note that after they make the dire forecast of scattered t-storms, they give you the probability of it actually raining. For most of the days it is 50%. That is, it could or not rain at all.

Anyway, check in with this link to see how the weather for Santo Domingo meets the forecast of weather.com so you know how much credibility to give to this forecast. For tonight they are forecasting rain. Will let you know tomorrow.


http://www.weather.com/outlook/trav...y=9&what=WeatherLocalUndeclared&itemCd=DR&x=8
 

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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Hel, do you really want to know. I worry that you are going to worry so much about the weather that you will lose your excitement for the trip.

Coming to the DR should be looked at as an adventure. Stop fretting about the weather and start checking the websites on the Dominican Republic to identify all the fun things that you can do should you have a rainy day during your visit. Cab drivers in Sosua tell me that they like rainy days because then many visitors go out to explore the many interesting places that they probably wouldn't have seen if they had spent every day on the beach.

You didn't say where you will be staying. why not start another thread and ask what you can do wherever it is that you will be should you have a day when the weather isn't great for the beach?
 

Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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So true about countries being lovely under the rain and about discovering lots of different things. For instance, when it rains in Puerto Plata it is time to take the Brugal rum factory tour and to visit the Amber Museum and go shopping...

Personally, one of the most beautiful cities I have visited was Sevilla, Spain under the rain -- was there and it rained for three days -- when the sun came out it was not as lovely, so my perception at the time... Remember visiting Paestum Roman and Greek ruins in southern Italy under heavy and cold rain. Memorable... No such extremes here, but yes, you could come and find yourself with three or four days straight, particularly if you visit the north coast, but that is the exception not the norm. If it happens, like Ken says, go out and see what you normally would not see if it had been a sunny day on the beach.
 

Karl

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Jan 1, 2002
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Dolores said:
So true about countries being lovely under the rain and about discovering lots of different things. For instance, when it rains in Puerto Plata it is time to take the Brugal rum factory tour and to visit the Amber Museum and go shopping...

Personally, one of the most beautiful cities I have visited was Sevilla, Spain under the rain -- was there and it rained for three days -- when the sun came out it was not as lovely, so my perception at the time... Remember visiting Paestum Roman and Greek ruins in southern Italy under heavy and cold rain. Memorable... No such extremes here, but yes, you could come and find yourself with three or four days straight, particularly if you visit the north coast, but that is the exception not the norm. If it happens, like Ken says, go out and see what you normally would not see if it had been a sunny day on the beach.

Sevilla was one of my favorites also.
 

Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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Following up with the weather.com 10 day forecast:

May 5 (evening) ? scattered t-storms
May 6 -- scattered t-storms
May 7 ? partly cloudy
May 8 -- scattered t-storms
May 9 -- scattered t-storms
May 10 ? t storms
May 11 -- scattered t-storms
May 12 -- scattered t-storms
May 13 scattered t-storms
May 14 scattered t-storms

No rain at all in the night, but it rained for an hour from 5 am to 6 am. No thunder, so I do not understand why this rain burst (we call them chubascos) is called a thunderstorm.

The forecast for today, 6 May is scattered t-storms. It is cloudy today, but no rain since early this morning. Will keep monitoring this forecast.
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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Dear Hel: Please tell us where you are going

It might have something to do with the weather.

Most times there is no reason to worry. There are lots of adventures that don't need sun to enjoy. GOLF excepted..

Chances are you will enjoy this experience more than you can imagine..

HB
 

Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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Following up with the weather.com forecast for today of

May 6 -- scattered t-storms

It was cloudy all day, but sunny. At 6 pm to 7 pm a downpour occurred, followed by slight drizzle from 7 to 8 pm. That seems to be it for the scattered t-storms for the day.

You could have spent all day on the beach (of course if Santo Domingo had a beach).

Just following up here to read the weather reports and what they mean.

Will get back tomorrow that has the forecast for partly cloudy.

May I say, didn't hear a single thunder through today's rain.
 

Hel

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Aug 4, 2003
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Thank you for all your info guys!!

I feel better for reading all your replies, think i was panicing a bit too much! Its my last day at work today, then the weekend, the we'll be on our way!

We are staying in Playa Dorada at the Gran Ventana Beach Resort. So what kinds of things can we do if it rains? Is there a big shopping mall in Puerto Plata?

Thanks again for all your info.
 

Hillbilly

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That's a nice place

Several of my friends go there on a regular basis.

I think what your problem is that you are accustomed to "rain" in your part of the world. Here is is generally just a hard shower, more so at this time of the year, and then, 'get on with whatever you were doing.'

You might even see kids taking baths in the rains.

Rules to follow:
comfortable clothing
sun screen of 30+
insect repellant-for evenings

If you are going to the Damajagua Falls-an incredible trip--See Trip Reports-take your bathing suit, wet shoes and something waterproof to wrap your camara in..If busty, you must read that trip report and comments...Here, I went and found it for you: http://www.dr1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30421 And read this great thread on how to spend some of your time, Part 2 refers to being in or out of your bathing suit: http://www.dr1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29313&highlight=damajagua+falls

Hey, this is a vacation, you can get lobster red, have a blast and go back needing another week to recover.

HB
 
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Hel

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Aug 4, 2003
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Thank you so much Hillbilly! Such valuable information.

2 days to go, i simply cannot wait!

I'll let you all know about our trip when we come back home x
 

Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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Following up with the weather.com 10 day forecast...

The weather forecast for May 7 was partly cloudy. That was true. But partly cloudy really means it will be sunny but there will be clouds in the sky. Good day for having gone to the beach.

May 8 -- forecast is scattered t-storms. Well, this morning a blazing sun was out reminding everyone summer is here and the heat as well. As of 3:21 pm in Santo Domingo not a drop of rain, but there are some clouds that could indicate a shower later in the day, but no way a thunder storm (that is a storm with thunder). This has been another great day for the beach.
 

Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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Following up the weather this week has made me think. So far, the forecast is misleading.

Just out of curiosity, I checked the dictionary for the meaning of a thunderstorm. According to dictionary.com a thunderstorm is a "transient, sometimes violent storm of thunder and lightning, often accompanied by rain and sometimes hail."

I will finish following up the weather this week... but I think probably others can check and together we can start a motion with weather.com against the description words used.

If I read forecasts about thunderstorms, I too would be concerned about traveling to the DR. weather.com and other weather services need to find words that are more applicable to weather in the Caribbean. Definitely, the word thunderstorm is misleading.

Only rarely is there an actual thunderstorm... The more accurate description would be simply "scattered showers".
 
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Ladybird

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Dec 15, 2003
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nice

why cant all the threads be as nice, informative and pleasant like this one.,, now just a general question Dolores, can all this predictive wet weather be the reason my arthritis has returned for the first time since I moved here?
 

Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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Continuing with my following up with the weather.com forecast....

So for 8 May, with a forecast of scattered thunderstorms... at the end of the day not a drop of rain. Would have been a great day to go to the beach. Thumbs down on the forecast for the day.

For 9 May, the forecast was scattered thunderstorms. Very sunny morning. At 3:30 a few drops of rain fell, and then a 10 minute drizzle around 4 pm and that was about it. Again, thumbs down on the forecast for the day.
 

Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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Ladybird said:
why cant all the threads be as nice, informative and pleasant like this one.,, now just a general question Dolores, can all this predictive wet weather be the reason my arthritis has returned for the first time since I moved here?

What wet weather are you talking about? What I am trying to prove with this thread is that the weather.com forecasts of continuous rain are misleading.

My husband feels his arthritis is acting up. So, yes, the humidity in the atmosphere could be the cause, but humidity and "scattered thunderstorms" are two very different things.
 

tired_boy

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I used to check the weather constantly on teletext here in the Uk.

I dont think it once ever said anything different to 'partly cloudly skies, chance of scattered showers'.

Some forecasts are very misleading and way off the mark.

A Q for all those living in the DR - Has the weather been generally wet or generally sunny these last few months?