Eritrea Climate
Top 5 Cities: Asmara, Keren, Sawa, Massawa, and Assab
This month in numbers
Eritrea experienced its 2nd warmest April on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 29.53°C, a significant 2.1°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. The period of February to April 2026 also ranked as the 4th warmest on record, with an average of 26.87°C, an anomaly of +1.4°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures, and the February–April period was the 2nd warmest on record for global land temperatures.
What changed
Eritrea's warming trend continues, with the latest three-month period (February–April 2026) being notably warmer than average. This aligns with the broader regional picture, as warmer than usual conditions were expected across most parts of Eritrea and the wider IGAD region in April. For the latest month, Eritrea ranked 106th out of 234 regions for its temperature anomaly, indicating a substantial deviation from its historical average.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth in Eritrea is influenced by the broader trend of land warming faster than ocean. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with a +0.11°C anomaly for February-April 2026. However, forecasts indicate a strong likelihood of an El Niño developing in the coming months, with a 61% chance for May-July and a 79% chance for June-August. This shift could bring further climatic impacts to the region. Eritrea has also been experiencing drought conditions, with the Bahri rainy season failing in late 2025 and rainfall in November and December being approximately 80% below the long-term average in affected areas. This has led to feed and water shortages, threatening the livelihoods of pastoralists.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
Loading climate data...
Data Sources
Data Sources for Eritrea
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Eritrea changing?
Eritrea is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Eritrea come from?
Climate data for Eritrea comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Eritrea climate data cover?
The Eritrea climate profile covers Asmara, Keren, Sawa, Massawa and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Eritrea
How often is the Eritrea climate update refreshed?
The Eritrea climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.