Ethiopia
Weather locations in Ethiopia
Choose a location in Ethiopia to view its available forecast products.
Ethiopia illustrated weather map
8 mapped locations
Only locations with a verified coordinate are marked. The complete location list is below.
Map Disclaimer: Maps and geographic illustrations on this website are simplified, stylized representations for weather visualization only. They are not drawn to scale and should not be interpreted as authoritative representations of national boundaries, territorial status, or geographic relationships.
Climate of Ethiopia
Country climate guideEthiopia is an elevated country in the Horn of Africa, and most of its people live between 1,500 and 3,000 metres, so altitude rather than latitude determines the weather. The capital, Addis Ababa at about 2,350 metres, averages roughly 16 °C in January and 14 °C in July, with cool nights all year. Across the lowlands the picture changes completely: the Afar depression is consistently among the hottest inhabited regions on Earth, while the western forests are hot and very wet.
Main climate types
Two rainy seasons divide the year. The long rains run from February to May and are heaviest in March and April, and a shorter period falls in October and November. In between the country is dry, with a long spell covering December and January. The pattern exists because the monsoon rainbelt moves south across the country in spring and returns briefly in autumn.
Temperatures
Lowland areas in the Afar region regularly exceed 30 °C in the hottest months, while the highlands stay mild. Addis Ababa's monthly means sit in a narrow band between about 14 °C and 17 °C, but the daily range in the highlands often exceeds 15 °C, and frost forms on clear nights during the dry season. Snowfall is confined to the highest peaks of the Simien and Bale massifs, and there it is rare and light.
Rainfall
Annual totals vary enormously. The south-western highlands around Jimma can exceed 2,000 millimetres, while the eastern lowlands along the Somali border receive less than 600. Rain usually arrives in the late afternoon as heavy showers, sometimes with hail, particularly during the long rains. The Danakil lowland, despite its heat, is among the driest parts of the country, blocked by the mountains around it.
When to go
The dry season from June to September is the best time for highland trekking, with firm paths and good visibility, and some of the country's major religious festivals fall in this period. The long rains of March to May and the short rains of October can make rural roads difficult. Visitors wanting hot lowland conditions should come around December and January.