Weather predictions for my first time in Punta Cana?

[lynn@thebeach]

Hello all,

I've been planning and looking forward to my trip to Punta Cana in August. We will be arriving on August 23rd and departing on August 28th. However, I am slightly (very) nervous about the weather in August in Punta Cana :nervous:.

Originally when we booked this trip, way back in February, I had no worries - maybe it was because it was too far to obsess about the weather. Now that it is right around the corner (48 days - but who's counting!) I just don't know what to expect. Am I doomed because I booked my second vacation, ever, right smack in the middle of hurricane season?

I know that nothing is guaranteed but I am curious as to if anyone is familiar with the weather in Punta Cana around the last couple weeks in August. When I watch/look at the weather it looks like it's always raining, but actual people who vacation or live in this area don't seem overly concerned?

Any words of wisdom?
Thnx ,
Lynn

 

[Chuck T]

Lynn , your better off taking a chance than waiting for these guys to answer you. LOL ! your vacation will be over by the time they respond. Don't worry about the hurricanes, worry about the drivers. lol

 

[Africaida]

and the sankies

 

[lynn@thebeach]

Thanx! & ...what's a "sankie?"

 

[EverythingJeff]

I like this example: What about your saucepans?: Sanky Panky

 

[Olly]

Lynn This might give you some idea of the possibily of Hurricanes during your stay.

Unisys Weather: 2010 Hurricane/Tropical Data for Atlantic

You can also look at Storm Carib : Caribbean Hurricane Network - stormCARIB.com - Local Reports on Tropical Systems threatening the Caribbean Islands
and by looking at the correspondents reports you can get an idea of what is happening here and in the surrounding Islands.

The weather reports are terribly inaccurate here and Mike who lives in the Punta Canna area - if he wants to comment is probably your best advisor. We live on the north coast where the weather is a little different !
It is always difficult if not impossible to predict the weather but on average over the last four years here on the north coast August has been the driest month! What it is like at Punta Canna we cant say but our own amateur records of rainfall put August as the driest month for the last four years!

Hope you have a good holiday!!!

Olly

 

[Hillbilly]

LYNN: You only have to post in one place, we'll see it. I posted this on the other thread:

Not to worry. We have outstanding forecasting capacity, excellent group of watchers and then we have Mike Fisher, a guy down the beach aways that sort of heads our hurricane season posting.

Of course, you are right; that far ahead we are only guessing.

But, remember this. Hurricanes, well planned for, can be more fun!! Really. As long as you have food, water and some good booze, and are safe, who cares???

Generally speaking I would advise you to bring lots of sun block, some good bug repellant (OFF Deep Woods), some light slacks, a sweater for the air conditioned rooms, and your tooth brush and tooth paste. And lots of good spirits.

I'll tell you a story about something that happened over in La Romana after hurricane Georges went through. The Casa de Campo complex was hard hit, but they kept on working. (Eventually spending something like $400 million on repairs and renovations!!!)

Anyway, this businessman comes in late in the afternoon looking for a room any room after a hard day. The Front Desk guy tells him that they are in a bad way after the hurricane, but they might have a room with a bed for him...okay the guy says.

About 3 o'?lock in the morning the guy wakes up to water falling on his bed and calls the
Front DesK.

Hey, this is Mr. Jones in room 3105!!! There is water coming from my ceiling, the roof must be leaking.

Front Desk: Sir, there is no roof on that building!!

So, if you have a hurricane during your stay, you will have some wonderful stories to tell, but do not worry...they are fun...


HB

 

[lynn@thebeach]

Whoops! Sorry, new to all this!

 

[MaineGirl]

Welcome to DR1! Be sure to write a trip report when you return

 

[Hillbilly]

Hey! She;ll be there when you will be there!!! You can bunk in the shelter together!!! JEJEJEJEJE..

Not to worry folks, just kidding....


HB

 

[Marilyn]

Wow HB, even I want to be in a hurricane now! lol

It's more probable that you will enjoy 90 degree temperatures and sunny days than be hit by a hurricane... but as HB says if it comes, it comes what ca you do... you're most likely to be hit by a hurricane in Acapulco or Cancun than in Punta Cana... but we can't predict that far away... I remember once we had a trip to Punta Cana from Santo Domingo and hurricane Dean was forecasted to arrive or at least wave at us from the caribbean, but we decided to go anyway since everything was already paid for, the whole trip on Las Americas highway we had to keep to the left lane because the waves were lapping around the right and middle lanes and throwing rocks on the highway... we kept going and enjoying the scenery... when we got to Punta Cana there was sand everywhere, all chairs had been put away (any flying object can be deadly) but no major harm was done, the lobby is a fun place to hang out in bad weather, they keep you wined, dined and entertained there... and the next day was sunny and clear, we had a blast... I'm so glad I wasn't scared away by a measly hurricane...

 

[MikeFisher]

ha ha,
Hey HB,
da Fisherman is looking forwards on a non-boring Summer of great Thunders and Lightning-Ups this summer.
Baby Sunshine will be 8 months old next week, the Ole Lady still not getting any Calmer,
so how could I have any Time for a darn lil Hurricane or such?, lol.

we can watch a number every year on the Satellite Maps, but real visits are a very rare thingy here on the southern Tip of the Eastshores. Facilities are built quiet safe, prewarning times on approaching big Storms are Timely to allow stocking on needed "fterwards Supplies", on the few occassions when we received something strong we've been back on the water fishing on Day 2 after the Windies, enjoying some good company and drinks while it blows.

a Hit over here is the #2 rarest of Mother nature's Occurrances for our Shores.
#1 rarest would be a Snowstorm blowing away my B-Day BBQ Mid September.

Life is good,
after a good 16 years in PC I still can not think of a better and Safer place tp let the lil Future Mrs Captain grow up.

weather Forecasts for more than the next couple Days here in the quick moving/shifting Tropics?
Non Existent, it is all just "Guessing" from thousands of miles away to keep the Media running.

as for right now while I type those lines at 1:10AM sitting on the Veranda and looking on a Calm Flat Ocean a few meters away:
we have Thunder and Lightning since a few minutes, Zero Wind, Rain comes straight down and will be over in a very short while, just perfect to fill an other Glass of Rose.
it is just a typical Heat-Thunder after many Days of Hot Hot Hot Sunshine.
the Sun will be out again tomorrow morning and Burn da 2-legged Fillets on the Beach to "well done crispy".

Life is Good,
and PC is a great Place to enjoy it.

for Observations of the big Storms around the Island just follow right here on the DR1 weather Topic the Thread "Hurricane Season 2011", If there is something out there somewhere with a possibility to brew up a Storm to reach the 'Hood, then it will be shown there.

have a great Time down here,
and don't worry about da weather.

Mike

 

[MikeFisher]

a good spot to get Info about the actual weather conditions for the PC Area in General is
http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/current/MDPC.html

but it shows Punta Cana in General, a wide Area.

for example this eve around Sunset some Areas heard some distance Thunder, maybe it even rained at a spot or 2, while here at my Place(I am in Cabeza de Toro, located on half Distance from the Airport to the Hotelmainstrip in Bavaro) the Thunder and Lightning and a minute later the Rain started shortly after 1AM while I wrote the last post above,
and now at 1:26AM it is over, Rain is just a light sprinkling and will completely stop within a few more minutes, I still hear the Thunder but in the Distance, it moved quickly NW wards along the coastline, should be over the Hotelmainarea right now.

cheers

Mike

 

[MikeFisher]

sorry that I forgot above to include the link to our DR1 Stormwatch Topic, here we go
http://www.dr1.com/forums/weather-beyond/115613-hurricane-season-2011-a.html
on Page 1 You see a number of Maps/Satellite Shots,
they do automatically update themselfes, some every 15 minutes, some by the hour, but they always show the actual Conditions around Our Sweet lil Isle and of course our "Highway", the few Miles between the African Western Coast around the Cape Verde islands and Punta Cana, the Highway where the Big and Ugly Windies get Born before they Kick Azz in the Caribbean a week later.

and to keep the above started Life Update of Tonight's weather in PC over my Head accurate:
the Rain Stopped,
I still hear Thunder but further away now,
we have Zero wind, no Palm Leaf is moving,
and there is nothing else out there over the Mna Channel to come in, Skies offshore are clear and ready for an other perfect sunny Beachday tomorrow.

Mike

 

[Olly]

Just to update you as of 7th August we have had TS Emily earlier in the week and that gave a bit of rain and gusty winds here on the north coast and Mike gave a pretty good description of what happened in his posts on http://www.dr1.com/forums/weather-beyond/115613-hurricane-season-2011-a-39.html Post #381 onwards.

Looking at the oncoming weather there are some disturbances in the Altlantic and off the African coast but most of these will probably have passed by the dominican Republic by the 23rd August at they are about 7 to 10 days away at the moment. So they are likely to have passed by in time for your visit.
As Hillbilly said :
Of course, you are right; that far ahead we are only guessing.

But, remember this. Hurricanes, well planned for, can be more fun!! Really. As long as you have food, water and some good booze, and are safe, who cares???

But looking at what is coming off Africa now it has settled into the Trade Wind pattern it might be clear and sunny when you come!

If I were you I would look forward to it ? we had a great hurricane party with IKE not so long ago!

HTH

Olly

 

[Olly]

Lynn,
Looking back at my 7th August post most of the systems that came off the African Coast have passed or gone to the north or are passing now. Now with just 7 days to go to your holiday you must be getting excited!
There is one system just come off the African Coast now that is worth watching but the Saharan Air layer to the north of it will probably stop it from becoming anything too big.
Other reports show :
16 August
TROPICAL WAVE HAS PUSHED OFF THE AFRICAN COAST EXTENDING FROM
19N20W TO 12N19W MOVING W 10-15 KT. SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS
CLEAR CUT CYCLONIC LOW-LEVEL FLOW AROUND THE WAVE AXIS CONFIRMED
BY AN ASCAT SCATTEROMETER PASS FROM THIS MORNING. TOTAL
PRECIPITABLE WATER IMAGERY INDICATES THAT A SURGE OF DEEP LAYER
MOISTURE IS ALSO MOVING OFF THE AFRICAN COAST IN ASSOCIATION
WITH THE WAVE. SCATTERED MODERATE/STRONG CONVECTION IS MAINLY S
OF THE AXIS FROM 7N-13N BETWEEN 15W-22W.


And as Mike says :

“Tropical Wave is approaching Atlantic Waters, it is now located some hundred Miles SW of the Cape Verde Islands wandering on quick 15+mphr Westward.
that Tropical Wave can be expected to become a Invest very soon and both of the reliable Long Range Models show it as a Tropical Depression over the Central Antilles by mid Saturday.

The Highway will not get boring.”


This will likely impact DR about 2 days after that in my opinion so on Monday. It will probably be past DR by Tuesday. Hard to estimate what it will develop into at this stage.

So it is likely that you will have good weather after that system has passed, as any rain make it much fresher here.

Olly

 

[Olly]

Olly

The system I mentioned in my 7th and 16th August posts has become TS Irene. Now it has been named the forcasting has become better. It is forecast to be centered around Punta Cana area about 2pm Monday but still having some winds and rain in that area on Tuesday when you arrive. After that it will have passed and the weather good. It has speeded up a bit to about 20 Mph which is all good as Irene will pass more quickly.

After that it looks like great vacation weather for Punta Cana ?at least for your week!


Enjoy

OLLY

 

[LTSteve]

Hi:
Unfortuneatly July, August and September are traditionally right in the heart of Tropical storm/Hurricane season. Your weather can be very changeable, hot, sticky and rainy. According to the weather channel this morning, a tropical storm is heading towards Puerto Rico, DR and Cuba and will be passing over these countries in the next day or two. I would check with your airline as to what effect this storm may have on your plans. I would not cancel plans but you will probably have some inclement weather. Buenos suarte.

S

 

[MikeFisher]

no Steve,
july/august/september the heart of the hurricane season traditionally?
we sure live in different countries with different traditions.
here where I live, the DR, the traditional peak season runs mid september til mird october.
of course there are exceptions, like for example this exceptionally different running 2011 season,
but by our traditions it is mid sept-mid oct and the rest is just for the winers watching CNN and their forecasts.

cheers

Mike

 

[Olly]

Lynn ,
Just to update you - as you should be on your way by now - Irene has passed and weare beginning to see blue sky on the north coast. A bit more rain to come but by the time you have settled in , tomorrow the sun will be shinning!
I am not sure if PC airport is open but have not had reports it was closed but I may have missed that!

OLLY