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The climate of Eritrea is arid and dry, but due to the huge height differences between the coastal region and the highlands of the interior, the country can be divided into two climatic regions.
A DRY AND WARM CLIMATE IN THE PLAINS IN FRONT OF THE RED SEA
Along the low and arid coastal area on the Red Sea and in the Danakil depression, the climate of Eritrea is desertic and arid with torrid temperatures and almost no rainfall. On average in this region the rains vary between 30 mm and 100 mm per year. The presence of the Red Sea, however, causes strong humidity.
Here the climate is one of the hottest and driest on the planet, in the hottest months, those of July and August, the average maximum temperatures reach values close to 40 ° C, which drop to 30 ° C in the colder months , those of January and February. The average minimum temperatures are also high and vary between 30 ° C in July and August and 21 ° C in January. As we move towards the highlands the climate becomes semi arid.
The sea water temperature varies between 25 ° C in February and 32 ° C in September.
A FRESH CLIMATE IN THE HIGHLANDS
In the central highlands which often exceed 2,000 meters in height, the climate is temperate and cool, with rainfall reaching values between 500 and 600 mm per year. In the highlands, the rains are concentrated in the months of July and August, although rains can also occur in the months between April and June and in September. The months between October and March are dry.
In Asmara the temperatures of the day are particularly mild, and undergo minimal seasonal variations, they vary between 22 ° C in July and August and 25 ° C in March, May and June. The average minimum temperatures are cool throughout the year, they vary between 6 ° C in December and January and 11 ° C in the months between May and August.
WHEN TO GO TO ERITREA
Almost all months of the year are suitable for a trip to Asmara and the Eritrean plateau, only the two months of July and August which are the ones in which the scarce annual rains are concentrated, are to be avoided. Along the coast, the cooler months between December and February are preferable.
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THE CLIMATE OF ERITREA: CLIMATE TABLES
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| ASMARA (2325 meters) | ||||
| Month | Average low (°C) | Average high (°C) | Precip. (mm) | Precip. days |
| January | 4,3 | 22,3 | 3,7 | 0 |
| February | 5,1 | 23,8 | 2,0 | 0 |
| March | 7,5 | 25,1 | 14,6 | 2 |
| April | 8,7 | 25,1 | 33,4 | 4 |
| May | 10,2 | 25,0 | 41,1 | 5 |
| June | 10,5 | 24,9 | 38,5 | 4 |
| July | 10,8 | 21,6 | 174,9 | 13 |
| August | 10,7 | 21,5 | 155,6 | 12 |
| September | 8,6 | 22,9 | 15,6 | 2 |
| October | 8,1 | 21,7 | 15,4 | 2 |
| November | 6,6 | 21,5 | 20,4 | 2 |
| December | 4,8 | 21,5 | 3,4 | 1 |
| YEAR | 8,0 | 23,1 | 518,6 | 47 |
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| ASSAB (16 meters) | ||||
| Month | Average low (°C) | Average high (°C) | Precip. (mm) | Precip. days |
| January | 21,3 | 31,3 | 4,0 | 1 |
| February | 21,7 | 31,7 | 6,7 | 1 |
| March | 23,2 | 33,8 | 1,8 | 0 |
| April | 25,1 | 36,0 | 3,6 | 0 |
| May | 27,0 | 37,0 | 1,7 | 0 |
| June | 28,5 | 38,0 | 0,2 | 0 |
| July | 30,3 | 39,6 | 6,9 | 1 |
| August | 29,9 | 39,1 | 2,8 | 0 |
| September | 28,5 | 37,4 | 1,1 | 0 |
| October | 26,0 | 36,5 | 1,0 | 0 |
| November | 23,7 | 33,9 | 4,5 | 0 |
| December | 22,2 | 31,6 | 4,8 | 0 |
| YEAR | 25,6 | 35,5 | 39,1 | 3 |
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| ASSAB | ||||
| Month | Sea Water Temperature °C | |||
| January | 25,9 | |||
| February | 25,7 | |||
| March | 26,4 | |||
| April | 27,6 | |||
| May | 29,7 | |||
| June | 31,0 | |||
| July | 31,0 | |||
| August | 31,0 | |||
| September | 32,0 | |||
| October | 30,2 | |||
| November | 27,8 | |||
| December | 26,6 | |||
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