Punta Cana weather in December
In December, Punta Cana sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 53 mm of rain across 13.1 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 65% of the time in December, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 11 hours at the start of December to 10 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Punta Cana's 4th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Punta Cana's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 27°
- 9th warmest
- Overnight low
- 24°
- 5th coldest
- Rainfall
- 53 mm
- 13.1 wet days
- Daylight
- 10 h 54 min
- 7:03 AM – 5:56 PM
- Cloud cover
- 38%
- 4th clearest
- Wind
- 17 km/h
- 1st windiest
- Solar energy
- 4.39 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 6.4
- out of 10
Punta Cana is resort town in La Altagracia Province, Dominican Republic.
- Density
- 210/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 2006
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in December
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.
A typical December day in Punta Cana reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C cooler than November and on par with January.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
| Avg low (°C) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | 24 |
| 2 | 27 | 24 |
| 3 | 27 | 24 |
| 4 | 27 | 24 |
| 5 | 27 | 24 |
| 6 | 27 | 24 |
| 7 | 27 | 24 |
| 8 | 27 | 24 |
| 9 | 27 | 24 |
| 10 | 27 | 24 |
| 11 | 27 | 24 |
| 12 | 27 | 24 |
| 13 | 27 | 24 |
| 14 | 27 | 24 |
| 15 | 27 | 24 |
| 16 | 27 | 24 |
| 17 | 27 | 24 |
| 18 | 27 | 24 |
| 19 | 27 | 24 |
| 20 | 27 | 24 |
| 21 | 27 | 24 |
| 22 | 27 | 24 |
| 23 | 27 | 24 |
| 24 | 27 | 24 |
| 25 | 27 | 24 |
| 26 | 27 | 24 |
| 27 | 27 | 24 |
| 28 | 27 | 24 |
| 29 | 27 | 24 |
| 30 | 27 | 24 |
| 31 | 27 | 24 |
How December really feels in Punta Cana
Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Punta Cana weather by month
How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 9th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26° / 23° | 39 | 12 | 11 | 6.8 |
| Feb | 27° / 23° | 31 | 9.8 | 11.4 | 7.0 |
| Mar | 27° / 23° | 36 | 9.8 | 11.9 | 7.1 |
| Apr | 27° / 24° | 51 | 11.4 | 12.4 | 6.5 |
| May | 28° / 25° | 100 | 16.6 | 12.9 | 5.2 |
| Jun | 29° / 26° | 71 | 15.2 | 13.1 | 4.8 |
| Jul | 29° / 26° | 90 | 18.2 | 13 | 4.6 |
| Aug | 29° / 26° | 105 | 18.6 | 12.6 | 4.4 |
| Sep | 29° / 26° | 121 | 18.9 | 12.1 | 4.2 |
| Oct | 29° / 25° | 117 | 20.9 | 11.6 | 4.3 |
| Nov | 28° / 25° | 103 | 17.6 | 11.1 | 5.3 |
| Dec | 27° / 24° | 53 | 13.1 | 10.9 | 6.4 |
Cloud cover in December
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 65% of the time in December.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 17%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 79 | 80 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 86 |
| Cloudier (%) | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 79 | 21 |
| 2 | 80 | 20 |
| 3 | 81 | 19 |
| 4 | 81 | 19 |
| 5 | 81 | 19 |
| 6 | 82 | 18 |
| 7 | 82 | 18 |
| 8 | 82 | 18 |
| 9 | 82 | 18 |
| 10 | 82 | 18 |
| 11 | 82 | 18 |
| 12 | 82 | 18 |
| 13 | 82 | 18 |
| 14 | 82 | 18 |
| 15 | 82 | 18 |
| 16 | 83 | 17 |
| 17 | 83 | 17 |
| 18 | 83 | 17 |
| 19 | 83 | 17 |
| 20 | 83 | 17 |
| 21 | 83 | 17 |
| 22 | 83 | 17 |
| 23 | 83 | 17 |
| 24 | 84 | 16 |
| 25 | 84 | 16 |
| 26 | 85 | 15 |
| 27 | 86 | 14 |
| 28 | 86 | 14 |
| 29 | 86 | 14 |
| 30 | 86 | 14 |
| 31 | 86 | 14 |
Chance of precipitation in December
Punta Cana gets around 53 mm of rain over 13.1 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 42% and peaks near 43% on the wettest days.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 43 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 43 |
| 2 | 43 |
| 3 | 42 |
| 4 | 42 |
| 5 | 42 |
| 6 | 42 |
| 7 | 42 |
| 8 | 42 |
| 9 | 42 |
| 10 | 42 |
| 11 | 42 |
| 12 | 42 |
| 13 | 42 |
| 14 | 42 |
| 15 | 42 |
| 16 | 42 |
| 17 | 43 |
| 18 | 43 |
| 19 | 43 |
| 20 | 43 |
| 21 | 43 |
| 22 | 43 |
| 23 | 43 |
| 24 | 42 |
| 25 | 42 |
| 26 | 42 |
| 27 | 41 |
| 28 | 41 |
| 29 | 41 |
| 30 | 41 |
| 31 | 41 |
Humidity in December
Most of December feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, December lands in the oppressive band about 74% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 96% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humid (%) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Muggy (%) | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 |
| Oppressive (%) | 79 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 77 | 77 | 76 | 75 | 74 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 72 | 71 | 71 | 70 | 69 | 69 | 68 | 67 | 67 |
| Miserable (%) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 17 | 79 | 2 |
| 2 | 2 | 17 | 79 | 2 |
| 3 | 2 | 17 | 79 | 2 |
| 4 | 3 | 17 | 78 | 2 |
| 5 | 3 | 17 | 79 | 1 |
| 6 | 3 | 17 | 79 | 1 |
| 7 | 3 | 17 | 79 | 1 |
| 8 | 3 | 18 | 78 | 1 |
| 9 | 3 | 18 | 78 | 1 |
| 10 | 3 | 18 | 78 | 1 |
| 11 | 3 | 18 | 78 | 1 |
| 12 | 3 | 19 | 78 | 0 |
| 13 | 3 | 19 | 78 | 0 |
| 14 | 3 | 19 | 78 | 0 |
| 15 | 3 | 20 | 77 | 0 |
| 16 | 3 | 20 | 77 | 0 |
| 17 | 3 | 21 | 76 | 0 |
| 18 | 4 | 21 | 75 | 0 |
| 19 | 4 | 22 | 74 | 0 |
| 20 | 4 | 22 | 74 | 0 |
| 21 | 4 | 23 | 73 | 0 |
| 22 | 4 | 24 | 72 | 0 |
| 23 | 4 | 24 | 72 | 0 |
| 24 | 4 | 25 | 71 | 0 |
| 25 | 4 | 25 | 71 | 0 |
| 26 | 4 | 26 | 70 | 0 |
| 27 | 4 | 27 | 69 | 0 |
| 28 | 4 | 27 | 69 | 0 |
| 29 | 4 | 28 | 68 | 0 |
| 30 | 4 | 29 | 67 | 0 |
| 31 | 4 | 29 | 67 | 0 |
Wind in December
Winds average 17 km/h in December, the windiest month of the year.
Across December, daily wind ranges from about 16 km/h on the calmest days to 17 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | light breeze |
| 2 | 16 | light breeze |
| 3 | 16 | light breeze |
| 4 | 16 | light breeze |
| 5 | 17 | light breeze |
| 6 | 17 | light breeze |
| 7 | 17 | light breeze |
| 8 | 17 | light breeze |
| 9 | 17 | light breeze |
| 10 | 17 | light breeze |
| 11 | 17 | light breeze |
| 12 | 17 | light breeze |
| 13 | 17 | light breeze |
| 14 | 17 | light breeze |
| 15 | 17 | light breeze |
| 16 | 17 | light breeze |
| 17 | 17 | light breeze |
| 18 | 17 | light breeze |
| 19 | 17 | light breeze |
| 20 | 17 | light breeze |
| 21 | 17 | light breeze |
| 22 | 17 | light breeze |
| 23 | 17 | light breeze |
| 24 | 17 | light breeze |
| 25 | 17 | light breeze |
| 26 | 17 | light breeze |
| 27 | 17 | light breeze |
| 28 | 17 | light breeze |
| 29 | 17 | light breeze |
| 30 | 17 | light breeze |
| 31 | 17 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in December
Daylight runs from about 11 hours at the start of December to 10 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days shrink by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:54 AM to 7:10 AM, and sunset from 5:52 PM to 6:04 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.0 | 11.0 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:54 | 6:55 | 6:56 | 6:56 | 6:57 | 6:57 | 6:58 | 6:59 | 6:59 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:01 | 7:01 | 7:02 | 7:03 | 7:03 | 7:04 | 7:04 | 7:05 | 7:05 | 7:06 | 7:06 | 7:07 | 7:07 | 7:07 | 7:08 | 7:08 | 7:09 | 7:09 | 7:09 | 7:10 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:53 | 5:53 | 5:53 | 5:53 | 5:53 | 5:54 | 5:54 | 5:54 | 5:55 | 5:55 | 5:55 | 5:56 | 5:56 | 5:56 | 5:57 | 5:57 | 5:58 | 5:58 | 5:59 | 5:59 | 6:00 | 6:00 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:03 | 6:03 | 6:04 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11.0 | 6:54 | 5:52 |
| 2 | 11.0 | 6:55 | 5:52 |
| 3 | 10.9 | 6:56 | 5:53 |
| 4 | 10.9 | 6:56 | 5:53 |
| 5 | 10.9 | 6:57 | 5:53 |
| 6 | 10.9 | 6:57 | 5:53 |
| 7 | 10.9 | 6:58 | 5:53 |
| 8 | 10.9 | 6:59 | 5:54 |
| 9 | 10.9 | 6:59 | 5:54 |
| 10 | 10.9 | 7:00 | 5:54 |
| 11 | 10.9 | 7:00 | 5:55 |
| 12 | 10.9 | 7:01 | 5:55 |
| 13 | 10.9 | 7:01 | 5:55 |
| 14 | 10.9 | 7:02 | 5:56 |
| 15 | 10.9 | 7:03 | 5:56 |
| 16 | 10.9 | 7:03 | 5:56 |
| 17 | 10.9 | 7:04 | 5:57 |
| 18 | 10.9 | 7:04 | 5:57 |
| 19 | 10.9 | 7:05 | 5:58 |
| 20 | 10.9 | 7:05 | 5:58 |
| 21 | 10.9 | 7:06 | 5:59 |
| 22 | 10.9 | 7:06 | 5:59 |
| 23 | 10.9 | 7:07 | 6:00 |
| 24 | 10.9 | 7:07 | 6:00 |
| 25 | 10.9 | 7:07 | 6:01 |
| 26 | 10.9 | 7:08 | 6:01 |
| 27 | 10.9 | 7:08 | 6:02 |
| 28 | 10.9 | 7:09 | 6:02 |
| 29 | 10.9 | 7:09 | 6:03 |
| 30 | 10.9 | 7:09 | 6:03 |
| 31 | 10.9 | 7:10 | 6:04 |
Solar energy in December
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 4.39 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.39 kWh/m² to a high of 6.59 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 4.39 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 2 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 3 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 4 | 4.5 | Bright |
| 5 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 6 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 7 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 8 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 9 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 10 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 11 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 12 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 13 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 14 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 15 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 16 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 17 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 18 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 19 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 20 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 21 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 22 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 23 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 24 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 25 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 26 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 27 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 28 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 29 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 30 | 4.4 | Bright |
| 31 | 4.4 | Bright |
Hazard calendar for Punta Cana
None of Punta Cana's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.
Punta Cana sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.
Punta Cana sees seasonal dust haze (July), heaviest in July.
Is December a good time to visit Punta Cana?
Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
December is a reasonable time to visit Punta Cana for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Punta Cana in December
From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In December, Punta Cana sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear. About 13 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Punta Cana in December
The nearest coast averages about 27°C in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea offshore is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in February near 26°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 26 | Warm |
| Mar | 26 | Warm |
| Apr | 27 | Warm |
| May | 27 | Warm |
| Jun | 28 | Warm |
| Jul | 28 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 29 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 28 | Tropical |
| Dec | 27 | Warm |
UV index in Punta Cana in December
Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Punta Cana peaks around April 11 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 7 (very high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 8 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Very high |
| Feb | 10 | Extreme |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 13 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 10 | Very high |
| Nov | 8 | Very high |
| Dec | 7 | High |
Air quality in Punta Cana in December
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Punta Cana is worst in July — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.8× the cleanest month (December, 5 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 5 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 16 | 15 | 7 | 5 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 | Good |
| Feb | 7 | Good |
| Mar | 7 | Good |
| Apr | 8 | Good |
| May | 15 | Moderate |
| Jun | 25 | Moderate |
| Jul | 25 | Moderate |
| Aug | 21 | Moderate |
| Sep | 16 | Moderate |
| Oct | 15 | Moderate |
| Nov | 7 | Good |
| Dec | 5 | Good |
Where is Punta Cana?
Punta Cana sits at 18.6°N, 68.4°W, 28 m above sea level, in Dominican Republic. The nearest listed city is Salvaleón de Higüey, 32 km away.
Topography around Punta Cana
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Punta Cana.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Punta Cana has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 40 m around an average of 27 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 114 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 683 m.
The land around Punta Cana is covered by trees (40%), grassland (39%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 3 km, water (39%), trees (30%) and grassland (26%) within 16 km, and water (67%) within 80 km.
Dominican Republic travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type A / B / C
- 120 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 39% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $11,059
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.1 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 45%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 10.9
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 64.6
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Moderate
- EF EPI 503
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Punta Cana (18.5818°, -68.4043°, elevation 28 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).