Punta Cana weather in May
In May, Punta Cana sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 100 mm of rain across 16.6 wet days and about 12.9 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 12 h 42 min at the start of May to 13 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Punta Cana's 11th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Punta Cana's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 28°
- 6th warmest
- Overnight low
- 25°
- 7th coldest
- Rainfall
- 100 mm
- 16.6 wet days
- Daylight
- 12 h 54 min
- 6:04 AM – 6:56 PM
- Cloud cover
- 60%
- 11th clearest
- Wind
- 14 km/h
- 10th windiest
- Solar energy
- 6.36 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 5.2
- 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 May
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month.
A typical May day in Punta Cana reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 1°C warmer than April and on par with June.
| 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) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
| Avg low (°C) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | 24 |
| 2 | 28 | 24 |
| 3 | 28 | 24 |
| 4 | 28 | 24 |
| 5 | 28 | 24 |
| 6 | 28 | 24 |
| 7 | 28 | 24 |
| 8 | 28 | 24 |
| 9 | 28 | 24 |
| 10 | 28 | 24 |
| 11 | 28 | 25 |
| 12 | 28 | 25 |
| 13 | 28 | 25 |
| 14 | 28 | 25 |
| 15 | 28 | 25 |
| 16 | 28 | 25 |
| 17 | 28 | 25 |
| 18 | 28 | 25 |
| 19 | 28 | 25 |
| 20 | 28 | 25 |
| 21 | 28 | 25 |
| 22 | 28 | 25 |
| 23 | 28 | 25 |
| 24 | 28 | 25 |
| 25 | 28 | 25 |
| 26 | 29 | 25 |
| 27 | 29 | 25 |
| 28 | 29 | 25 |
| 29 | 29 | 25 |
| 30 | 29 | 25 |
| 31 | 29 | 25 |
How May really feels in Punta Cana
Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 8 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Punta Cana weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 5th-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 May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in May.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 48%. Skies tend to cloud over 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 (%) | 69 | 68 | 68 | 67 | 65 | 64 | 63 | 60 | 59 | 58 | 56 | 55 | 53 | 52 | 50 | 49 | 48 | 47 | 45 | 44 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 43 |
| Cloudier (%) | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 44 | 45 | 47 | 48 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 57 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 57 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 69 | 31 |
| 2 | 68 | 32 |
| 3 | 68 | 32 |
| 4 | 67 | 33 |
| 5 | 65 | 35 |
| 6 | 64 | 36 |
| 7 | 63 | 37 |
| 8 | 60 | 40 |
| 9 | 59 | 41 |
| 10 | 58 | 42 |
| 11 | 56 | 44 |
| 12 | 55 | 45 |
| 13 | 53 | 47 |
| 14 | 52 | 48 |
| 15 | 50 | 50 |
| 16 | 49 | 51 |
| 17 | 48 | 52 |
| 18 | 47 | 53 |
| 19 | 45 | 55 |
| 20 | 44 | 56 |
| 21 | 43 | 57 |
| 22 | 43 | 57 |
| 23 | 42 | 58 |
| 24 | 42 | 58 |
| 25 | 42 | 58 |
| 26 | 42 | 58 |
| 27 | 42 | 58 |
| 28 | 42 | 58 |
| 29 | 42 | 58 |
| 30 | 42 | 58 |
| 31 | 43 | 57 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Punta Cana gets around 100 mm of rain over 16.6 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 52% and peaks near 55% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.
| 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 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 52 | 53 | 53 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 54 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 43 |
| 2 | 44 |
| 3 | 45 |
| 4 | 46 |
| 5 | 47 |
| 6 | 48 |
| 7 | 50 |
| 8 | 51 |
| 9 | 52 |
| 10 | 52 |
| 11 | 53 |
| 12 | 53 |
| 13 | 54 |
| 14 | 54 |
| 15 | 54 |
| 16 | 54 |
| 17 | 53 |
| 18 | 53 |
| 19 | 53 |
| 20 | 54 |
| 21 | 54 |
| 22 | 54 |
| 23 | 54 |
| 24 | 54 |
| 25 | 55 |
| 26 | 55 |
| 27 | 55 |
| 28 | 55 |
| 29 | 55 |
| 30 | 55 |
| 31 | 54 |
Humidity in May
Most of May feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, May lands in the oppressive band about 82% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% 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 (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 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 |
| Muggy (%) | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oppressive (%) | 84 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 86 | 85 | 84 | 84 | 82 | 81 | 80 | 80 | 79 | 78 | 77 | 76 | 76 | 75 | 75 | 74 | 73 |
| Miserable (%) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 12 | 84 | 3 |
| 2 | 1 | 11 | 86 | 2 |
| 3 | 1 | 11 | 86 | 2 |
| 4 | 1 | 11 | 86 | 2 |
| 5 | 1 | 10 | 86 | 3 |
| 6 | 1 | 10 | 86 | 3 |
| 7 | 1 | 9 | 87 | 3 |
| 8 | 1 | 8 | 87 | 4 |
| 9 | 1 | 8 | 87 | 4 |
| 10 | 1 | 7 | 87 | 5 |
| 11 | 1 | 6 | 87 | 6 |
| 12 | 0 | 6 | 87 | 7 |
| 13 | 0 | 5 | 87 | 8 |
| 14 | 0 | 4 | 87 | 9 |
| 15 | 0 | 4 | 86 | 10 |
| 16 | 0 | 3 | 85 | 12 |
| 17 | 0 | 3 | 84 | 13 |
| 18 | 0 | 2 | 84 | 14 |
| 19 | 0 | 2 | 82 | 16 |
| 20 | 0 | 2 | 81 | 17 |
| 21 | 0 | 2 | 80 | 18 |
| 22 | 0 | 1 | 80 | 19 |
| 23 | 0 | 1 | 79 | 20 |
| 24 | 0 | 1 | 78 | 21 |
| 25 | 0 | 1 | 77 | 22 |
| 26 | 0 | 1 | 76 | 23 |
| 27 | 0 | 1 | 76 | 23 |
| 28 | 0 | 1 | 75 | 24 |
| 29 | 0 | 0 | 75 | 25 |
| 30 | 0 | 0 | 74 | 26 |
| 31 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 27 |
Wind in May
Winds average 14 km/h in May.
Across May, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 15 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) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| 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 | 15 | light breeze |
| 2 | 15 | light breeze |
| 3 | 15 | light breeze |
| 4 | 15 | light breeze |
| 5 | 15 | light breeze |
| 6 | 15 | light breeze |
| 7 | 15 | light breeze |
| 8 | 15 | light breeze |
| 9 | 15 | light breeze |
| 10 | 15 | light breeze |
| 11 | 15 | light breeze |
| 12 | 14 | light breeze |
| 13 | 14 | light breeze |
| 14 | 14 | light breeze |
| 15 | 14 | light breeze |
| 16 | 14 | light breeze |
| 17 | 14 | light breeze |
| 18 | 14 | light breeze |
| 19 | 14 | light breeze |
| 20 | 14 | light breeze |
| 21 | 14 | light breeze |
| 22 | 13 | light breeze |
| 23 | 13 | light breeze |
| 24 | 13 | light breeze |
| 25 | 13 | light breeze |
| 26 | 13 | light breeze |
| 27 | 13 | light breeze |
| 28 | 13 | light breeze |
| 29 | 13 | light breeze |
| 30 | 13 | light breeze |
| 31 | 13 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 12 h 42 min at the start of May to 13 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 18 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:11 AM to 6:00 AM, and sunset from 6:51 PM to 7:02 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) | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:11 | 6:10 | 6:10 | 6:09 | 6:09 | 6:08 | 6:08 | 6:07 | 6:07 | 6:06 | 6:06 | 6:05 | 6:05 | 6:04 | 6:04 | 6:04 | 6:03 | 6:03 | 6:03 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:00 | 6:00 | 6:00 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:51 | 6:51 | 6:51 | 6:52 | 6:52 | 6:52 | 6:53 | 6:53 | 6:53 | 6:54 | 6:54 | 6:55 | 6:55 | 6:55 | 6:56 | 6:56 | 6:56 | 6:57 | 6:57 | 6:58 | 6:58 | 6:58 | 6:59 | 6:59 | 6:59 | 7:00 | 7:00 | 7:01 | 7:01 | 7:01 | 7:02 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.7 | 6:11 | 6:51 |
| 2 | 12.7 | 6:10 | 6:51 |
| 3 | 12.7 | 6:10 | 6:51 |
| 4 | 12.7 | 6:09 | 6:52 |
| 5 | 12.7 | 6:09 | 6:52 |
| 6 | 12.7 | 6:08 | 6:52 |
| 7 | 12.8 | 6:08 | 6:53 |
| 8 | 12.8 | 6:07 | 6:53 |
| 9 | 12.8 | 6:07 | 6:53 |
| 10 | 12.8 | 6:06 | 6:54 |
| 11 | 12.8 | 6:06 | 6:54 |
| 12 | 12.8 | 6:05 | 6:55 |
| 13 | 12.8 | 6:05 | 6:55 |
| 14 | 12.8 | 6:04 | 6:55 |
| 15 | 12.9 | 6:04 | 6:56 |
| 16 | 12.9 | 6:04 | 6:56 |
| 17 | 12.9 | 6:03 | 6:56 |
| 18 | 12.9 | 6:03 | 6:57 |
| 19 | 12.9 | 6:03 | 6:57 |
| 20 | 12.9 | 6:02 | 6:58 |
| 21 | 12.9 | 6:02 | 6:58 |
| 22 | 12.9 | 6:02 | 6:58 |
| 23 | 13.0 | 6:02 | 6:59 |
| 24 | 13.0 | 6:01 | 6:59 |
| 25 | 13.0 | 6:01 | 6:59 |
| 26 | 13.0 | 6:01 | 7:00 |
| 27 | 13.0 | 6:01 | 7:00 |
| 28 | 13.0 | 6:01 | 7:01 |
| 29 | 13.0 | 6:00 | 7:01 |
| 30 | 13.0 | 6:00 | 7:01 |
| 31 | 13.0 | 6:00 | 7:02 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.36 kWh/m².
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 — May's 6.36 kWh/m² falls in the middle.
| 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) | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 2 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 3 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 4 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 5 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 6 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 7 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 8 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 9 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 10 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 11 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 12 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 13 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 14 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 15 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 16 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 17 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 18 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 19 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 26 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 27 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.4 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Punta Cana
None of Punta Cana's seasonal hazards are active in May. 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 May a good time to visit Punta Cana?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is a reasonable time to visit Punta Cana for sightseeing.
What to pack for Punta Cana in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Punta Cana sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 17 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Punta Cana in May
The nearest coast averages about 27°C in May — 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 May
Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). 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 May
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May 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).