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Basic facts about the weather of Ethiopia

499 Comments · Traveling to Ethiopia

Much of Ethiopian is uneven highlands: Addis Ababa, the capita stands at an altitude of about seven thousand nine hundred feet| seven thousand and nine hundred feet. Consequently temperatures are pleasanteven cool – in fact not tropical.

Highest daytime temperatures infrequently rise above seventy one degree fahrenheit and for much of the year on the infrequently rise above sixty one or sixty four degree fahrenheit. Nevertheles temperatures can change by fifteen degree celcious or more in as many minutes, and a difference of up to thirty degree celcious between day and night is possible. Temperature at night frequently drop to a chilly fifty degree Fahrenheit or less. Most places are also swept by winds that can be strong and dust-laden in dry areas.

Rainfall differsdepending on area. In the highlands that occupy about half of the country and include Addis Ababa (the capital), the year’s rainfall amounts to about one thousand to one thousand five hundred millimeter. There are two rainy seasons a year: the irregular short rains (from late January to early March) and the long rains (that stretch from June until mid September).

The rain can be brief and heavy or it can be steady nevertheless light, lasting infrequently the entire day. The long rains can appear endless, and many expatriate European summer at that time of year. Nevertheless when the rains come to an end the air becomes very dry almost overnight. The longest days are in June and July, when there are around 45 minutes more daylight than in December and January. Nevertheless long days do not mean ‘summer’ in Ethiopian. Ethiopians refer to the long rains as ‘winter’. Ethiopian New Year, or ‘spring’, festivities come in September (locally called Meskerem) when the long rains come to an end. May is the warmest month and is usually a time of bright sunny days and strong winds. Daytime temperatures in January run just as high, nevertheless the nights are much chillier. June, July, and August are grey, et, and cool.

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