Climate
Addis Ababa has a Subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb). The city has a complex mix of highland climate zones, with temperature differences of up to 10°C, depending on elevation and prevailing wind patterns. The high elevation moderates temperatures year-round, and the city's position near the equator means that temperatures are very constant from month to month.
Mid-November to January is the winter season. The Highland Climate regions are characterized by dry winters, and this is the dry season in Addis Ababa. During this season the daily maximum temperatures are usually not more that 23°C, and the night-time minimum temperatures can get to freezing. The short rainy season is from February to May. During this period, the difference between the daytime maximum temperatures and the night-time minimum temperatures are not as great as during other times of the year, with minimum temperatures in the range of 10–15°C. At this time of the year the city experiences warm temperature and a pleasant rainfall. The long wet season is from June to mid-September. This period coincides with summer, but the temperatures are much lower than at other times of year due to the frequent rain and hail and the abundance of cloud cover and fewer hours of sunshine. This time of the year is characterized by dark, chilly and wet days and nights. The autumn which follows is a transitional period between the wet and dry seasons.
| Climate data for Addis Ababa | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 23.0 (73.4) |
24.3 (75.7) |
24.8 (76.6) |
24.2 (75.6) |
24.4 (75.9) |
20.0 (68.0) |
17.9 (64.2) |
20.0 (68.0) |
21.3 (70.3) |
22.3 (72.1) |
22.6 (72.7) |
22.8 (73.0) |
22.8 (73.0) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 6.0 (42.8) |
9.0 (48.2) |
11.6 (52.9) |
12.0 (53.6) |
12.3 (54.1) |
11.2 (52.2) |
11.3 (52.3) |
11.2 (52.2) |
11.0 (51.8) |
9.9 (49.8) |
8.7 (47.7) |
8.1 (46.6) |
10.6 (51.1) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 16.8 (0.661) |
36 (1.42) |
68.2 (2.685) |
88.8 (3.496) |
76 (2.99) |
123.5 (4.862) |
259.4 (10.213) |
278 (10.94) |
174.1 (6.854) |
41.1 (1.618) |
8.3 (0.327) |
10.2 (0.402) |
1,180.4 (46.472) |
| Avg. rainy days | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 27 | 26 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 132 |
| Source #1: National Meteorological Agency | |||||||||||||
| Source #2: World Meteorological Organisation (UN) | |||||||||||||
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