Ethiopia, a country with a rich cultural heritage and a population of approximately 126.5 million people, faces growing climate challenges that impact its economic priorities and natural resources.
Located on the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia boasts a diverse range of climates, from tropical forests in the southwest to deserts in the north. This variation affects water availability, agriculture, and climate resilience across the country.
The impacts of climate change on the frequency and severity of physical hazards are putting many communities at risk. As the threat of climate change grows, so too does the need for accessible information, tools, and expertise to support climate-resilient decision making across multiple scales, from communities to countries. Woodwell Climate Research Center believes there is a need to localize and customize climate risk assessments.
This information is critical for local government leaders as they make planning decisions, but it is not available to all communities. Woodwell believes that this science should be freely and widely available.
Climate Map of Ethiopia
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Ethiopia is found in the Horn of Africa covering an area of about 1.2 million square kilometers. Ethiopia is land-locked country located within the Horn of Africa. Its terrain is characterized by high plateaus, mountains and dry lowland plains (USDS, 2010). It is a mountainous country with a rich diversity in climate, biodiversity, ethnicity and culture. Its climate varies from hot and arid to cold and humid types.
Ethiopia shows a lot of climatic variation, but many of the popular tourist attractions and parks are located in the central and northern highlands, which experience a temperate climate. There is a distinct Wet and Dry season and most rain falls between May and September.
Climate Diversity and Seasonal Variations
The climate of Ethiopia is highly diverse, ranging from equatorial rainforest with high rainfall and humidity in the south and southwest, to Afromontane regions on the summits of Semien and Bale Mountains to desert region in northeast, east and southeast Ethiopia. Ethiopia features diverse climates and landscapes, ranging from equatorial rainforest with high rainfall and humidity in the south and southwest, to the Afro-Alpine summits of the Semien and Bale Mountains, to desert like conditions in the northeast, east and southeast lowlands.
The climate of Ethiopia is heavily influenced by its imposing topography. The country can be roughly divided into the highlands that make up most of the western half of Ethiopia and the lowlands which consist of southeast and northeast Ethiopia. These two zones differ significantly in the distribution, intensity, and seasonality of rainfall.
Ethiopian seasons are classified into three: the driest season is called Bega (October to January), Belg (February to May) and the rainy season Kiremt (June to September). Ethiopia has distinct types of season: the Bega (October to January), Belg (February to May) and Kiremt (June to September). The driest season is Bega, whereas the main rainy season is Kiremt.
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This seasonal rainfall is impacted by the oscillation and migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) across the equator of northern region of the country in July and August, to its south bending its position over the southern Kenya in January and February.
Regional Climate Specifics
On the Ethiopian Plateau (the zone 1 on the map), the climate is tempered by altitude, and is cool, mild, or pleasantly warm depending on altitude. There is a season characterized by scarce rains from November to February, and a rainy season from June to September. Annual rainfall ranges from 1,000 to 2,200 millimeters (40 to 87 inches). Rainfall occurs as downpour or thunderstorm, usually in the afternoon or in the evening, even during the monsoon season, when, however, cloudiness is more widespread.
The capital, Addis Ababa, is located at 2,300 meters (7,500 ft) above sea level, though the altitude in the different districts of the city ranges from 2,100 to 2,700 meters (7,000 to 9,000 ft), and has a mild and pleasant climate. Nights are cool, even cold from November to February, when lows drop below 10 °C (50 °F). Days are pleasantly warm, around 23/25 °C (73/77 °F), except in July, August and September, at the height of the rainy season, when highs drop to about 20/21 °C (68/70 °F).
The period from March to May, as often happens in Ethiopia, is the warmest of the year, albeit by a few degrees. Throughout the year, 1,160 mm (46 in) of rain fall, with a maximum from June to September, which is the only remarkably rainy period. From November to February, there is little rain, and rare showers occur; from March to May, afternoon showers become a bit more frequent, occurring for 7/10 days per month, while in July and August, they occur nearly every day.
In the other cities located on the plateau, the climate is similar to that of Addis Ababa, with variations due to altitude and position. The rainiest part of the plateau is the western one.
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Harar (Harer) is located in the east, at the edge of the plateau, at no great distance from Dire Dawa (see below), but it is cooler because it is located at 1,850 meters (6,070 feet) above sea level, in addition, it's located on the other side. Here, 860 mm (34 in) of rain fall per year, with a rainy period from April to September, when monthly precipitation is between 100 and 140 mm (4 and 5.5 in). Also, due to the lower altitude, the climate is hotter.
The heat is intense especially below 1,000 meters (3,300 feet), and in a particular way in the dry period. The narrow strip west of the plateau, the one bordering Sudan and South Sudan, receives the south-west monsoon, but with less pronounced effects compared to the plateau. In this region, the heat is intense in the dry season, from October to mid-May, with a peak between April and early May, when the temperatures normally reach 40 °C (104 °F), then the rains come and the temperature drops a bit. So, it is difficult to find a good period to visit this area.
In the far south, in the area of Lake Turkana, and in the south-east (see Moyale), scorching heat dominates throughout the year, with irregular rains, concentrated in two periods: from March to May and from October to November. Here, unlike in the rest of the country, the best time (or the least bad...) is from June to August, since it is the least hot, though slightly.
The Somali Region (Ogaden), in the south-east, is hot and semi-desert as well. Here, rainfall does not reach 250 mm (10 in) per year, and is concentrated in two rainy periods, April-May and October-November.
In the east, we find Dire Dawa, located at 1,200 meters (3,900 feet), on the north slope which overlooks the scorching zone: here, it's hot for most of the year, with a maximum in June, when highs around 35 °C (95 °F) are normal, while in winter, it's warm during the day, but nights are quite cool. Here, 670 mm (26.5 in) of rain fall per year, with two relatively rainy periods, from March to May and from July to September, and two dry periods, from October to February and in June.
The northernmost part of the plateau is quite arid, even though the altitude is higher: in Mek'ele (or Makale), located at 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) of altitude in the Tigray region, 700 mm (27.5 in) of rain fall per year, with only two very rainy months, July and August. Despite the altitude, here, it can be a bit hot from April to June, with highs about 27/28 °C (81/82 °F).
In northern Ethiopia, in the Afar Region, the climate is desert and scorchingly hot throughout the year. In particular, in the Danakil Depression, where some salt lakes such as Lake Afrera are found, the climate is particularly hot, also because of the low altitude, which drops to 125 meters (410 feet) below sea level; here, the weather is permanently and overwhelmingly hot throughout the year.
The abandoned settlement of Dallol, in the far north, is considered the hottest place in the world on average, having a daily temperature of 35 °C (95 °F) all year round: lows are around 30 °C (86 °F) and highs around 40 °C (104 °F), or at least these were the data reported at that time. On the slopes of Erta Ale volcano, dark basalt rock absorbs the sun's rays and heats up in a particular way, thus creating a hellish environment.
From the Ethiopian Plateau, several mountain peaks rise, among which we find Ras Dashen, the highest of the country, 4,550 meters (14,928 feet) high, Abuna Yosef, 4,260 mt (13,976 ft), Tullu Deemtu, 4,389 mt (14,400 ft), and Batu, 4,307 mt (14,131 ft). The last two are located in the Bale Mountains, where several interesting ecosystems are found: up to 2,800 meters (9,200 ft) we find the forest, replaced at higher altitudes by a barren mountain vegetation, able to withstand the cold of the night, while above 4,000 mt (13,000 ft), the constant cold prevents the growth of almost all kind of vegetation, which is why a cold desert is found.
The highlands generally see around 1,500 mm of rainfall per year (Figure 1) which falls mostly during the Kirempt season (June-September). Due to this sharp gradient in annual rainfall, the type of agriculture to support livelihoods differs between the highlands and the lowlands. Crop-based agriculture dominates the highlands (Figure 2), while as one moves southeast and northeast towards the lowlands, pastoral communities become more prevalent.
Spatial distribution of rainfall for the Kirempt (Jun-Sep) and Belg (Feb-May) rainfall seasons as a proportion of annual rainfall using MSWEP data.
Approximately 94% of Ethiopia’s crop production occurs in the Meher season (September-February) which is largely a product of the Kirempt rainy season. A failure of the summer rains would be devastating for the Ethiopian people, especially since more than 85% of the labor force is engaged in the agricultural sector, with only 5% of crop production is irrigated, making the sector highly dependent on rainfall.
Internal climate variability can lead to large swings in annual rainfall from year to year leading to a drought prone environment.
Climate Change and Its Impact on Ethiopia
Climate change is of great concern in Ethiopia, especially since the 1970s. Between the mid-1970s and late 2000s, Ethiopia's rainfall in some areas and seasons decreased by 15-20 percent. Furthermore, numerous studies predict climate change will increasingly affect the country's ecosystem, causing drought and famines.
During the mid-1970s and the late 2000s, rainfall decreased during Belg and Kiremt seasons by 15-20% across parts of southern, southwestern, and southeastern Ethiopia.
Ethiopia's climate is predicted to warm between 0.7°C and 2.3°C by the end of the 2020s and between 1.4°C and 2.9°C by the 2050s. The county's vulnerability to climate change could increase poverty and dependency on rain-fed agriculture.
We assess impacts across three time periods in this analysis: a historical period (labeled 2000), a near future time period (labeled 2050) and a late future time period (labeled 2070). These correspond to warming levels of 1.1°C, 2.6°C, and 3.6°C, respectively, relative to the preindustrial period (1850-1900). We show that climate change will reshape weather patterns across Ethiopia, posing significant challenges to water availability, agriculture, and livelihoods.
Ethiopia Climate Change
The projected increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, particularly droughts and floods, will impact both highland and lowland communities. Extreme drought risk will increase moderately (1x-1.5x historical probability) in Somali by 2050 and significantly (1.5x-2x historical probability) in northwestern Ethiopia by 2070.
Mean annual streamflow, low flows, and high flows in the north central portion of the country are projected to increase in volume. Extreme precipitation will also intensify with the historical 100-year rainfall amount increasing 20%-30% by 2050 and 30%-40% by 2070 for the majority of Ethiopia.
Flood risk is generally concentrated within the central Rift Valley of the country and in Somali where communities have developed within the floodplain.
With the inclusion of additional local data, the climate change projections and risk metrics within this report can be generated at high resolutions for additional parts of the country, and with greater accuracy, to provide even more actionable information for policymakers.
Policy and Adaptation Strategies
Ethiopia has established a strong policy landscape for climate action through several strategic initiatives. The national government has demonstrated their commitment to addressing Ethiopia’s climate future by embracing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and incorporating resilience principles into its first Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the UNFCCC submitted in 2017 and revised in 2022.
In addition, Ethiopia has outlined its commitment to sustainable development through key policy frameworks, including the Ten-Year Development Plan (2021-2030), the Long-Term Low Carbon Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS 2020-2050), the Climate Resilient Green Economy Strategy (CRGE), and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), aimed at mitigating risks associated with climate change and environmental degradation.
In response to experience, the Ethiopian government began developing a green economy policy to counter climate change under a single policy: the 2011 Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy.
Woodwell’s quantitative risk assessment of extreme precipitation, flooding, drought, and streamflow patterns builds upon Ethiopia’s deep knowledge systems and aims to complement existing national frameworks. This report intends to provide local data insights to support decision-makers and communities to take evidence-informed approaches for resilience.
Climate Data for Various Locations in Ethiopia
Below is a table presenting climate data for various locations in Ethiopia, including minimum and maximum temperatures, precipitation, and other relevant metrics.
| Location | Altitude (meters) | Jan Min Temp (°C) | Jan Max Temp (°C) | Annual Precipitation (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addis Ababa | 2,300 | 9 | 24 | 1,160 |
| Gondar | 2,000 | 12 | 28 | 1,100 |
| Jimma | 1,700 | 12 | 27 | 1,500 |
| Mekelle | 2,200 | 10 | 25 | 700 |
| Dire Dawa | 1,200 | 15 | 30 | 670 |
This data provides a snapshot of the climate conditions in different regions of Ethiopia, highlighting the variations in temperature and rainfall across the country.
The best time to visit Ethiopia is from November to February, since it is the driest and coolest period of the year almost everywhere. In the arid areas, this is still a hot period at low altitude, with scorching days, but nights are usually with pretty cool. The worst months on the plateau are July and August because of the rainfall, and April and May in the semi-arid areas because of the heat, while the Danakil Depression is steadily scorching and inhospitable throughout the year (although it is probably a little less hot from December to February).
In winter: in the regions of Danakil and Afar, as well as in the south-east, bring loose-fitting, light-colored clothing, light and long shirts and pants of natural fibers (cotton, linen), a desert turban, and hiking shoes, and a sweatshirt for the evening at an altitude higher than the plain. In Addis Ababa and the plateau, bring spring/autumn clothes (light for the day), a sun hat, a jacket, and a sweater and a hat for the evening; for the high mountains, above 3,000 meters (9,800 ft), warm clothes, a warm jacket, gloves, and a scarf.
In summer: in the regions of Danakil and Afar, as well as in the south-east, bring loose-fitting, light-colored clothing, light and long shirts and pants of natural fibers (cotton, linen), a desert turban, and hiking shoes. In Addis Ababa and the plateau, spring/autumn clothes, a jacket, a raincoat and umbrella; for the high mountains, above 3,000 meters (9,800 ft), warm clothes, a warm jacket, gloves, and a scarf.
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