Asmara climate
Asmara (Eritrea) has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). The average temperature over the year is 17 °C62 °F, and about 415 mm16 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Asmara climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2169 | 643 | 1356 | 40.1 |
| Feb | 2373 | 745 | 1559 | 80.3 |
| Mar | 2576 | 948 | 1762 | 70.3 |
| Apr | 2679 | 1152 | 1966 | 261.0 |
| May | 2781 | 1356 | 2069 | 180.7 |
| Jun | 2780 | 1457 | 2069 | 331.3 |
| Jul | 2272 | 1355 | 1864 | 1254.9 |
| Aug | 2170 | 1254 | 1762 | 1455.7 |
| Sep | 2475 | 1253 | 1864 | 301.2 |
| Oct | 2374 | 949 | 1661 | 80.3 |
| Nov | 2272 | 846 | 1559 | 60.2 |
| Dec | 2069 | 744 | 1456 | 40.2 |
| Year | 2781 | 643 | 1762 | 41516 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64% | 23% | 5.5 | 11:18 |
| Feb | 59% | 23% | 6.1 | 11:37 |
| Mar | 52% | 22% | 6.8 | 12:01 |
| Apr | 49% | 29% | 7.1 | 12:28 |
| May | 40% | 37% | 7.0 | 12:50 |
| Jun | 44% | 52% | 6.6 | 13:02 |
| Jul | 65% | 72% | 5.7 | 12:57 |
| Aug | 72% | 74% | 5.4 | 12:38 |
| Sep | 57% | 47% | 6.3 | 12:12 |
| Oct | 56% | 26% | 6.3 | 11:46 |
| Nov | 60% | 18% | 5.7 | 11:24 |
| Dec | 64% | 21% | 5.3 | 11:13 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Asmara is like
The warmest month is June, with an average high of 27 °C80 °F and a low of 14 °C57 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 21 °C69 °F and lows 6 °C43 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 7 °C12.7 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 415 mm16 in. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 73% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: October–March and May. The wettest month is August (145 mm5.7 in), the driest is January (4 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 40% in May to 72% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 18%) are typical of November. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in September to 16 km/h (10 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 11.2 hours in December to 13.0 hours in June.
Best time to visit Asmara
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are September–June: average highs of 20 °C69 °F to 27 °C81 °F with 4 mm0.1 in to 33 mm1.3 in of precipitation per month.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Asmara
- Wetter months (July and August) — highs 2170 to 22 °C72 °F, lows 1254 to 13 °C55 °F, about 135 mm5.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (September–June) — highs 2069 to 27 °C81 °F, lows 643 to 14 °C57 °F, about 15 mm0.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Asmara compares
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Adigrat (Ethiopia, BSk), Mekele (Ethiopia, BSh) and Cochabamba (Bolivia, BSk).
Nearby places
- Adigrat 131 km · 17 °C62 °F · 380 mm15 in
- Inda Silasē 154 km · 21 °C70 °F · 649 mm26 in
- Mekele 213 km · 19 °C66 °F · 532 mm21 in
- Kassala 272 km · 29 °C84 °F · 286 mm11 in
- Gonder 343 km · 19 °C65 °F · 1,417 mm56 in
- Weldiya 397 km · 20 °C67 °F · 703 mm28 in
- Debre Tabor 400 km · 16 °C61 °F · 1,014 mm40 in
- Al Qadarif 408 km · 28 °C82 °F · 543 mm21 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Asmara?
June is the warmest month in Asmara, with an average high of 27 °C (80 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (57 °F).
What is the coldest month in Asmara?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 21 °C (69 °F) and an average low of 6 °C (43 °F).
When does it rain the most in Asmara?
August is the wettest month with about 145 mm (5.7 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 4 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Asmara?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are September–June.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 1,404 m, while Asmara lies at about 2,334 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −6 °C10.9 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.