Climate and Seasons in Ethiopia

Travel

Ethiopian Climate and Seasons

Learn All There is to Know About Climate and Seasons in Ethiopia

Climate in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has five climatic zones, characterized by altitude and temperature.

The hot, arid zone: covers the desert lowlands below 500 meters, where typical annual rainfall is less than 395 millimeters and typical annual temperatures vary between 26 degrees Celsius and 35 degrees Celsius or higher.

The warm to hot, semi-arid zone: comprise areas with an altitude of 500 - 1,500 meters, typical annual rainfall of about 550 millimeters but in the western lowlands of Gambella can reach 1,600 millimeters and a typical annual temperature range of 22 - 29 degrees Celsius.

The warm to cool, semi-humid zone: covers the mild highlands between 1,500 and 2,500 meters.

Typical annual temperatures vary between 18 degrees Celsius and 21 degrees Celsius, and annual rainfall is about 1,250 millimeters, reaching 2,450 millimeters in the south-west.

The cool to cold humid zone: comprises the mild highlands between 2,500 and 3,200 meters, where typical temperatures range between 11 degrees Celsius and 17 degrees Celsius, with an annual rainfall of 1,100 millimeters and up to 2,100 millimeters as the elevation increases.

The cold, moist mild zone: covers the Afro-alpine areas on the highest plateaus between 3,200 and 3,500 m; typical temperatures are below 9 degrees Celsius and annual rainfall averages less than 900 mm.