Weather locations in Eritrea

Eritrea faces the Red Sea and holds a narrow strip of coast before the country climbs steeply into a highland plateau that occupies most of the land. The result is a genuinely split climate: a hot, arid coastal belt and, only tens of kilometres inland, a temperate highland region where the nights turn cold. Between them lie escarpments that rise through the 1,500-metre range.

Main climate types

Under the conventional grouping the highlands near Asmara take a subtropical highland type and the south-western lowlands a tropical savanna one. The coastal town of Massawa and the plain behind it are hot desert. The Danakil Depression, which lies below sea level, is the lowest point in Africa and among the hottest places on earth. The escarpments between the coast and the plateau trap moisture and produce cloud on their western faces.

Temperatures

Asmara, at about 2,300 metres, has January means near 14 degrees Celsius and July means near 18; because of the height the daily range is wide, and cold nights below 5 degrees are common in January. Massawa on the coast has January means near 27 and July near 35, with high humidity. The difference between the coast and the capital is therefore about 15 degrees in January, and the divide runs across the country at a right angle to the sea.

Rainfall

Eritrea's rain is scarce and erratic. Massawa takes around 100 millimetres a year, mostly in the short winter rains of November and December, while Asmara receives over 500 millimetres, falling in July and August. The southern escarpment region near Sawa receives more than most of the country. Dry spells of several months are normal, and the north is much drier than the south.

When to go

Eritrea is best visited between October and March, when the coastal heat has eased and the highlands are at their clearest. The main rains, from June to August, can wash out roads in the south, and the hottest months on the coast are June and July.