Dominican Republic and El Salvador face extreme heat and drought

heatwave meteorological drought tropical wave weather forecast extreme temperatures

Extreme weather conditions are impacting the Dominican Republic and El Salvador. In the Dominican Republic, the Instituto Dominicano de Meteorología (INDOMET) has warned of suffocating heat through August 18. Temperatures are expected to exceed 33°C in much of the country, with a high probability of surpassing 37°C in northern regions. This heat is attributed to the annual warm season, El Niño effects, and Saharan dust. Additionally, a tropical wave and high-altitude trough are expected to bring showers and thunderstorms, particularly in areas like Hato Mayor and Monte Plata, with urban flood alerts in place for Greater Santo Domingo.

In El Salvador, the Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (MARN) has reported the start of a third meteorological drought period. Since August 7, several monitoring stations have recorded no rainfall. The country is also experiencing a heatwave, with temperatures reaching up to 42°C in some areas and high heat indices. While some localized storms are possible in mountainous and northern sectors, the overall trend remains dry. MARN has also clarified that Tropical Storm Hernan will not influence the country's weather conditions.

Entities

Copeco · Dominican Republic · El Salvador · Honduras · Instituto Dominicano de Meteorología · Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales · Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources · Moisés Urbina

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Climate expert Moisés Urbina predicts dry scenarios through the end of the year due to El Niño and global warming.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Remnants of a tropical wave may cause weak, isolated showers in western, central, and eastern Honduras.
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources forecasts temperatures reaching 42 degrees Celsius in eastern El Salvador.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Choluteca is expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius, while Valle is expected to reach 38 degrees Celsius.
[○ 1 SOURCE] A station in San Miguel, El Salvador, recorded a maximum temperature of 40.9 degrees Celsius with a heat index of 48.1 degrees Celsius.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Copeco forecasts mostly dry conditions across Honduras for Wednesday.