Massawa climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Massawa?

Massawa has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 27.9 °C and it receives 500 mm of precipitation per year.

Q: What is the hottest day ever recorded in Massawa?

The hottest day measured in Massawa between 1940 and 2025 was 27 July 2023, reaching 39.7 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Massawa?

The coldest day measured in Massawa between 1940 and 2025 was 7 February 1993, at 15.5 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Massawa?

Almost never: Massawa sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.

Q: Has the climate of Massawa warmed?

Yes: Massawa warmed by +1.6 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

Q: What is the wettest day in Massawa?

The wettest day measured in Massawa between 1940 and 2025 was 20 November 1997, with 114 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Massawa?

The windiest day measured in Massawa between 1940 and 2025 was 30 April 2011, with winds reaching 36.4 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Massawa?

The warmest month in Massawa is August (32.3 °C on average); the coldest is January (23.2 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Massawa?

Massawa receives on average 500 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 88 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Massawa?

Massawa gets on average 10.6 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,869 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Massawa (Eritrea) has a hot semi-arid climate (BSh) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 27.9 °C and it receives 500 mm of precipitation per year.

These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.

The warmest month is August (32.3 °C on average) and the coldest is January (23.2 °C). Rainfall peaks in January.

Massawa averages 0 frost days, 198 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 88 rainy days per year.

Massawa has warmed by +1.6 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.18 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.

The hottest day of the period reached 39.7 °C (on 27 July 2023) and the coldest 15.5 °C (on 7 February 1993).

Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.

Climate normals · ERA5

MassawaNorthern Red Sea

coords: 15.61°, 39.47°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

BShHot semi-aridWarmest monthAugustColdest monthJanuaryWettest monthJanuaryDriest monthJune

Mean daily temperature

27.9°C

Average daily high

30.4°C

Average daily low

25.6°C

Annual rainfall

500mm

Sunshine / day

10.6h

Mean relative humidity

67%

Average peak wind

15.0km/h

Seasonal range

9.1°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

198 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

88 d/yr

Annual snowfall

0.0 cm

Average feels-like high

34.0 °C

Average feels-like low

28.4 °C

Average peak gust

29.2 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

358 d/yr

Solar radiation

20.2 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+1.6 °C

since 1940

+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.69 · p = < 0.001

19402025

Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).

A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.

Records for the period

Hottest day

39.7 °C

27 July 2023

Coldest day

15.5 °C

7 February 1993

Wettest day

114 mm

20 November 1997

Windiest day

36.4 km/h

30 April 2011

Strongest gust

58.7 km/h

30 April 2011

Hottest feels-like

43.3 °C

23 July 2024

Coldest feels-like

13.6 °C

7 February 1993

Sunniest day

12.4 h

16 May 1978

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall	Hot days
2025	39.1 °C31 July 2025	19.3 °C20 December 2025	28.7 °C	317 mm	227
2024	39.4 °C12 July 2024	19.6 °C3 February 2024	28.9 °C	349 mm	208
2023	39.7 °C27 July 2023	20.1 °C23 March 2023	29.0 °C	358 mm	212
2022	38.1 °C14 June 2022	18.9 °C6 February 2022	28.6 °C	341 mm	237
2021	38.7 °C30 August 2021	19.0 °C7 February 2021	28.7 °C	227 mm	224
2020	37.4 °C16 July 2020	17.7 °C26 January 2020	28.3 °C	320 mm	212
2019	38.9 °C22 July 2019	18.2 °C20 February 2019	28.5 °C	406 mm	217
2018	38.1 °C10 July 2018	19.9 °C18 January 2018	28.6 °C	389 mm	221
2017	38.6 °C12 July 2017	19.6 °C18 February 2017	28.7 °C	275 mm	222
2016	38.9 °C21 June 2016	17.2 °C29 January 2016	28.8 °C	296 mm	223
2015	38.2 °C25 July 2015	18.4 °C11 January 2015	28.6 °C	380 mm	215
2014	38.1 °C30 June 2014	19.9 °C9 February 2014	28.4 °C	246 mm	211
2013	38.3 °C5 June 2013	19.9 °C11 January 2013	28.5 °C	342 mm	210
2012	39.5 °C16 July 2012	18.1 °C21 January 2012	28.3 °C	331 mm	203
2011	38.4 °C27 July 2011	18.9 °C4 February 2011	27.9 °C	454 mm	195
2010	37.9 °C7 July 2010	20.0 °C6 February 2010	28.8 °C	168 mm	227
2009	38.4 °C15 July 2009	19.4 °C2 March 2009	28.4 °C	284 mm	212
2008	38.2 °C20 July 2008	17.4 °C1 February 2008	28.2 °C	312 mm	201
2007	38.7 °C27 July 2007	19.1 °C19 March 2007	28.2 °C	317 mm	204
2006	37.7 °C29 May 2006	19.5 °C16 January 2006	28.3 °C	619 mm	203
2005	38.6 °C3 August 2005	18.4 °C13 January 2005	28.4 °C	290 mm	208
2004	38.3 °C7 July 2004	18.7 °C7 February 2004	28.3 °C	396 mm	209
2003	39.2 °C7 July 2003	19.9 °C5 January 2003	28.5 °C	504 mm	214
2002	37.6 °C14 August 2002	18.6 °C12 January 2002	28.3 °C	529 mm	219
2001	37.8 °C17 July 2001	18.3 °C10 January 2001	28.5 °C	321 mm	220
2000	39.3 °C19 July 2000	18.9 °C29 January 2000	28.2 °C	542 mm	206
1999	39.4 °C9 August 1999	20.1 °C3 March 1999	28.6 °C	304 mm	218
1998	38.8 °C17 July 1998	18.0 °C14 February 1998	28.6 °C	259 mm	216
1997	37.9 °C24 July 1997	17.7 °C26 January 1997	27.9 °C	668 mm	193
1996	38.8 °C23 July 1996	19.9 °C12 January 1996	28.3 °C	528 mm	200
1995	37.7 °C1 July 1995	18.6 °C10 February 1995	28.1 °C	386 mm	198
1994	37.6 °C27 July 1994	19.7 °C25 February 1994	28.1 °C	338 mm	212
1993	37.5 °C9 July 1993	15.5 °C7 February 1993	27.9 °C	355 mm	194
1992	36.9 °C12 July 1992	16.0 °C26 February 1992	27.2 °C	548 mm	187
1991	37.5 °C4 August 1991	18.4 °C28 January 1991	27.9 °C	498 mm	209
1990	37.2 °C7 August 1990	17.6 °C27 February 1990	27.8 °C	308 mm	195
1989	37.0 °C20 July 1989	17.5 °C6 February 1989	27.7 °C	541 mm	208
1988	37.8 °C12 July 1988	19.4 °C18 January 1988	28.3 °C	458 mm	207
1987	37.5 °C27 July 1987	19.2 °C15 March 1987	28.0 °C	568 mm	177
1986	38.3 °C19 July 1986	19.0 °C6 December 1986	27.7 °C	615 mm	186
1985	36.9 °C30 May 1985	17.7 °C19 February 1985	27.9 °C	475 mm	198
1984	36.9 °C4 May 1984	19.6 °C17 January 1984	27.7 °C	414 mm	201
1983	36.7 °C16 June 1983	16.6 °C25 January 1983	27.4 °C	461 mm	182
1982	37.4 °C21 July 1982	18.1 °C15 February 1982	27.2 °C	984 mm	174
1981	38.5 °C29 July 1981	17.8 °C12 February 1981	28.0 °C	448 mm	191
1980	38.7 °C21 July 1980	18.8 °C4 March 1980	28.2 °C	361 mm	213
1979	37.1 °C25 July 1979	19.8 °C24 January 1979	27.9 °C	561 mm	193
1978	36.9 °C14 August 1978	18.9 °C12 January 1978	27.7 °C	681 mm	192
1977	37.8 °C9 August 1977	18.5 °C25 February 1977	27.5 °C	718 mm	174
1976	36.6 °C5 August 1976	18.6 °C18 February 1976	27.5 °C	584 mm	190
1975	36.5 °C21 July 1975	18.8 °C31 December 1975	27.5 °C	511 mm	189
1974	37.1 °C30 June 1974	18.3 °C19 January 1974	27.6 °C	726 mm	218
1973	38.0 °C13 June 1973	18.1 °C4 January 1973	27.9 °C	358 mm	201
1972	36.6 °C25 July 1972	18.4 °C8 February 1972	27.7 °C	642 mm	205
1971	37.2 °C21 August 1971	16.8 °C25 December 1971	27.4 °C	484 mm	190
1970	37.4 °C2 August 1970	19.6 °C15 December 1970	28.0 °C	387 mm	206
1969	37.1 °C6 September 1969	18.0 °C31 January 1969	28.3 °C	426 mm	210
1968	37.7 °C28 June 1968	18.3 °C26 February 1968	27.7 °C	487 mm	194
1967	38.0 °C16 July 1967	19.0 °C28 March 1967	27.3 °C	669 mm	180
1966	39.5 °C12 July 1966	18.8 °C22 March 1966	28.0 °C	272 mm	197
1965	38.5 °C1 August 1965	19.1 °C11 January 1965	27.4 °C	535 mm	162
1964	38.4 °C12 July 1964	19.8 °C27 December 1964	27.5 °C	684 mm	178
1963	38.1 °C22 August 1963	19.6 °C25 December 1963	28.0 °C	552 mm	189
1962	38.6 °C5 July 1962	19.1 °C22 February 1962	28.0 °C	455 mm	190
1961	37.5 °C21 July 1961	20.2 °C22 March 1961	27.4 °C	1,033 mm	181
1960	38.7 °C22 July 1960	17.7 °C31 January 1960	28.1 °C	407 mm	203
1959	36.7 °C24 June 1959	16.6 °C23 January 1959	27.5 °C	577 mm	188
1958	37.8 °C4 August 1958	18.7 °C16 February 1958	28.1 °C	509 mm	214
1957	37.1 °C19 July 1957	16.5 °C5 February 1957	27.6 °C	458 mm	187
1956	37.0 °C6 July 1956	19.2 °C17 January 1956	27.4 °C	584 mm	172
1955	37.9 °C17 July 1955	20.1 °C27 February 1955	27.7 °C	543 mm	195
1954	36.5 °C18 August 1954	19.4 °C22 January 1954	27.6 °C	654 mm	200
1953	36.5 °C16 June 1953	18.1 °C22 December 1953	26.9 °C	933 mm	188
1952	36.7 °C26 August 1952	18.9 °C14 February 1952	27.5 °C	520 mm	186
1951	36.6 °C4 June 1951	19.1 °C13 February 1951	27.3 °C	777 mm	175
1950	36.3 °C7 July 1950	17.6 °C18 January 1950	26.5 °C	579 mm	166
1949	36.8 °C13 July 1949	16.8 °C11 February 1949	26.9 °C	863 mm	186
1948	37.1 °C11 July 1948	18.2 °C10 March 1948	26.8 °C	864 mm	151
1947	37.7 °C16 July 1947	19.4 °C8 March 1947	27.3 °C	811 mm	171
1946	36.9 °C3 May 1946	17.1 °C12 January 1946	27.3 °C	425 mm	189
1945	37.5 °C26 August 1945	18.2 °C18 January 1945	27.0 °C	700 mm	180
1944	36.8 °C10 June 1944	18.3 °C1 February 1944	27.3 °C	978 mm	189
1943	35.6 °C10 May 1943	17.3 °C3 February 1943	26.8 °C	505 mm	168
1942	38.1 °C24 June 1942	19.6 °C4 January 1942	27.4 °C	611 mm	193
1941	36.3 °C7 July 1941	19.8 °C4 March 1941	27.7 °C	527 mm	190
1940	38.3 °C14 August 1940	18.6 °C2 February 1940	27.2 °C	569 mm	164

Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.

A specific year

Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?

Year

Across the whole year

Average daily high

31.3 °C

+0.9 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

227 d/yr

+29

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Annual rainfall

317 mm

-183 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	26.0 °C	+0.9 °C	85 mm	-27 mm
Feb	25.6 °C	+0.5 °C	79 mm	-4 mm
Mar	27.5 °C	+0.8 °C	29 mm	-18 mm
Apr	31.0 °C	+1.6 °C	2 mm	-27 mm
May	33.5 °C	+1.2 °C	2 mm	-13 mm
Jun	35.4 °C	+0.7 °C	0 mm	-1 mm
Jul	37.2 °C	+1.8 °C	1 mm	-8 mm
Aug	35.9 °C	+0.5 °C	43 mm	+33 mm
Sep	35.5 °C	+1.3 °C	1 mm	-7 mm
Oct	31.9 °C	+0.5 °C	18 mm	-9 mm
Nov	29.8 °C	+0.9 °C	3 mm	-51 mm
Dec	26.5 °C	+0.1 °C	53 mm	-50 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

39.1 °C

31 Jul 2025

Coldest day

19.3 °C

20 Dec 2025

Wettest day

22.2 mm

27 Jan 2025

Windiest day

28.3 km/h

18 Jul 2025

Strongest gust

51.1 km/h

18 Jul 2025

Hottest feels-like

43.0 °C

28 Jul 2025

Coldest feels-like

19.4 °C

20 Dec 2025

Sunniest day

12.4 h

16 May 2025

What was the weather like that day?

Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.

Date

Frequently asked questions

What is the climate of Massawa?

Massawa has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 27.9 °C and it receives 500 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Massawa?

The hottest day measured in Massawa between 1940 and 2025 was 27 July 2023, reaching 39.7 °C.

What is the coldest day in Massawa?

The coldest day measured in Massawa between 1940 and 2025 was 7 February 1993, at 15.5 °C.

Does it snow in Massawa?

Almost never: Massawa sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.

Has the climate of Massawa warmed?

Yes: Massawa warmed by +1.6 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

What is the wettest day in Massawa?

The wettest day measured in Massawa between 1940 and 2025 was 20 November 1997, with 114 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Massawa?

The windiest day measured in Massawa between 1940 and 2025 was 30 April 2011, with winds reaching 36.4 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Massawa?

The warmest month in Massawa is August (32.3 °C on average); the coldest is January (23.2 °C).

How much does it rain in Massawa?

Massawa receives on average 500 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 88 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Massawa?

Massawa gets on average 10.6 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,869 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Are there tropical nights in Massawa?

Yes: Massawa has on average 358 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Massawa?

In Massawa, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 43.3 °C on 23 July 2024, and the lowest was 13.6 °C on 7 February 1993.

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