Index

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• The coast - Massawa
• The mountains - Asmara
• The west - Agordat
• Cyclones
• When to go
• What to pack

The climate of Eritrea is tropical desert on the coast and the eastern plain (zone 1 on the map), mild and semiarid in the mountainous belt (zone 2 on the map), and tropical and semi-arid in the south-west (zone 3). From June to September, the country is influenced by the southwest monsoon coming from Ethiopia, which brings a bit of rain, especially in the central and southern inland part.

The coast

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Along the coast of the Red Sea, (zone 1 on the map), the climate is desert and hot all year round.

Massawa

In Massawa, winter, from December to March, is hot and sunny: daytime temperatures are around 30 °C (86 °F). Summer, from May to September is oppressive, with daytime temperatures about 40 °C (104 °F), but with peaks of 45 °C (113 °F), and the humidity of the sea that aggravates the feeling of heat. Here are the average temperatures.

From October to April, there can be some rain, usually not abundant, but the amount of sunshine is good. In summer, some cloud banks can pass, and rare rains occur as part of the southwest monsoon. On average, only 180 millimetres (7 inches) of rain per year fall. Here is the average precipitation.

On the coast the sun shines all year round, however, in summer some cloud banks can pass as well.

In the southern part of coast, in Assab (or Aseb) the climate is similar, but it's even more arid: in an average year, just 60 mm (2.4 in) of rain fall.
In the Dahlak Archipelago, the summer temperatures are a bit lower than on the coast, but the higher humidity makes the heat unbearable.
The sea in Eritrea is warm all year round, and in summer the Red Sea becomes one of the warmest seas in the world, as you can see in the following table.

In the central inland area, we find the Danakil Depression, where there are salt lakes and salt mines; here the weather is scorchingly hot all year round, with temperatures around 40 °C (104 °F) even in winter.

The mountains

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In the mountainous belt that runs from north to south (zone 2 on the map), the climate is mild due to the altitude, and is also moderately rainy, at least in the centre-south, while the northern part is desert. The highest peak, Emba Soira, reaches 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) of altitude and is located in the south.

Asmara

In the capital Asmara (or Asmera), the climate is pleasant, being located at 2,300 metres (7,500 ft) above sea level. Daytime temperatures are around 22/23 °C (72/73 °F) in winter, a little higher from March to June, and then they drop a bit in July and August, which are the only really rainy months. Night temperatures are cool in summer, and very cool or even cold in winter. Here are the average temperatures.

Throughout the year, about 500 mm (20 in) of rain fall; the rains are almost entirely absent from October to March, a few short showers occur from April to June and again in September, July and August, which as mentioned are the two very rainy months. Here is the average precipitation.

The sunshine amount is great from October to February, good in spring, and low in July and August, when the sky is often cloudy. All in all, in Asmara, the climate is good from October to May, and probably the best months are October and November.

Some mountainous areas located north-east of Asmara receive more rain, therefore are greener: here even forests are found.

The west

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In the western part of Eritrea (zone 3 on the map), the climate is desert in the north, and semi-desert or semi-arid in the south, where a bit of rain from June to September occur, related to the summer monsoon.

Agordat

In Agordat (or Ak'ordat), located at 600 metres (2,000 feet) above sea level, 260 mm (10.2 in) of rain per year fall, concentrated from June to September. Here is the average precipitation.

In Agordat the sun shines regularly in the long dry season, while here too the sunshine hours decrease in summer, though less than in Asmara.

The temperature is high in winter, with more than 30 °C (86 °F) even in January, but nights are quite cool; the temperature becomes torrid in spring, touching 40 °C (104 °F) in May, while it decreases with the arrival of the monsoon, but at the cost of an increase in humidity. Between mid-September and November, the hot weather returns, with highs about 35/37 °C (95/99 °F), although a little less intense than in spring. Here are the average temperatures.

In the south-west, the landscape is still arid, but the summer rains are more abundant, so much so that precipitation exceeds 600 mm (23.5 in) per year, allowing the survival of a greater amount of shrubs and trees.

Tropical cyclones

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Every now and then, the extreme south of Eritrea (see Assab) can be affected by a tropical cyclone coming from the Arabian Sea, but more rarely and with less intensity than in Somalia and Yemen, because when they enter the Gulf of Aden, cyclones tend to weaken. However, sometimes the remains of a cyclone can arrive here, bringing heavy rains, as happened with Tropical Storm 1A in May 1984, and Cyclone Sagar in May 2018.
Cyclones form from May to December, and are more frequent at the beginning (May-June) and at the end (October-December) of the period.

When to go

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The best time to visit Eritrea runs from December to February, because it is the least hot and the driest. It must be said that in some regions it is still a torrid period, particularly in the Danakil, but also in the entire western part at low altitudes, where, however, the heat is more bearable and nights are cool, especially in December and January (in February the temperature already starts to increase a little).

What to pack

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In winter: in Massawa, the Dahlak Islands and the northern coast: light clothing, a light sweatshirt for the evening, possibly a light raincoat or umbrella; for the reef, equipment for snorkeling, water shoes or rubber soled shoes. In Danakil, loose fitting, light-coloured clothing, light and long shirt and pants of natural fibres (cotton, linen), desert turban, hiking shoes. In Asmara and the highlands, spring/autumn clothes, jacket and sweater for the evening, sun hat, sunscreen. In the western inland areas, light clothes, desert turban, sweatshirt and light jacket for the evening.

In summer: on the coast, tropics-friendly, lightweight clothes; for the reef, equipment for snorkeling, water shoes or rubber soled shoes. In Danakil, loose fitting, light-coloured clothing, light and long shirt and pants of natural fibres (cotton, linen), desert turban, hiking shoes. In Asmara and the highlands, spring/autumn clothes, light jacket and sweater for the evening, raincoat or umbrella. For the western inland areas, light clothes, light raincoat.