Why is it raining so much in April in the Dominican Republic: climatic causes explained

April is not usually a month of heavy rainfall in the Dominican Republic. However, in recent days, the downpours have been surprising in their strength, frequency, and amount measured in millimeters, leaving one question unanswered: why is it raining so much?

The answer points to climate change.

Cristopher Florian, a meteorologist at the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (Indomet), explained to the newspaper HOY that the warming of the oceans and seas is generating more water vapor in the atmosphere, which favors more intense and concentrated rainfall.

“ That is what is causing the months to have certain differences in terms of their rainfall,” he said.

As part of that change, the expert pointed out that in the last three years, April has seen heavier rainfall than usual, due to an anomaly in atmospheric patterns.

Under normal conditions, he explained, the most significant rainfall begins in mid- to late April, with the start of the convective season—that is, the country’s wet season. However, this pattern has started earlier, indicating variations in the climate.

The impact is already being felt. On April 8, a trough brought significant rainfall to several areas of the country. In the Ensanche Julieta neighborhood of the National District, 314 millimeters of rain fell in just a few hours.

An impact that goes beyond the climate

The rains have not only altered the usual behavior of the month, but also the lives of thousands of people.

According to the Emergency Operations Center (COE) report published on Thursday, more than 1,000 homes have been affected, dozens destroyed, and thousands of people have had to be evacuated.

In total, 1,024 homes have been damaged, of which 23 are partially damaged and 32 are completely destroyed, while some 5,120 people have been displaced to safe areas.