Eritrea Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Asmara, Keren, Sawa, Massawa, and Assab
Summary
Eritrea endured an extraordinarily sweltering mid-summer, recording its 2nd warmest July on record as intense heat blanketed the Red Sea nation. Temperatures soared more than three degrees above historical baselines, compounding widespread moisture deficits across the northern Horn of Africa. The thermal stress capped a scorching three-month stretch that also ranked as the country's 2nd warmest on record, with elevated temperatures expected to linger through late summer.
This month in numbers
The mean temperature in July 2026 reached 31.05°C, standing 3.2°C above the 1961-1990 baseline. That makes it the 2nd warmest entry for the month in 87 years of records, falling just short of the all-time record of 31.46°C set in 2023. This anomaly placed Eritrea 18th out of 232 tracked regions globally for warmth relative to baseline, while global land temperatures simultaneously logged their 3rd highest July level at 15.8°C (+1.6°C anomaly).
What changed
The remarkable July heat capped a broader summer pattern of persistent warmth. Across the May to July 2026 period, mean temperatures reached 30.85°C, representing a +2.2°C anomaly. This stood as the 2nd warmest such three-month stretch on record for Eritrea, behind only the 30.98°C benchmark set in 2024. Over the long term, Eritrea's mean temperature has increased by 1.25°C compared to the late 20th-century baseline, with 2023 remaining the warmest full year on record at 28°C.
What’s driving change?
The intensifying heat across Eritrea is heavily influenced by , where desiccated soils in arid and semi-arid landscapes lose the capacity to cool through evaporation, turning direct solar radiation into extreme surface warmth. This effect is compounded by across the Greater Horn of Africa, where erratic and suppressed seasonal rainfall has extended dry conditions and allowed heat to build over the Red Sea coastal plains and central highlands.
Looking ahead
Seasonal climate projections from regional prediction centres indicate a high likelihood of below-normal rainfall and persistent above-average warmth continuing across Eritrea through late summer and early autumn.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – Global
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance (countries & continents) · Met Office (UK) · US states & climate regions. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Eritrea
Köppen BWh · AridEritrea has a arid climate (Köppen BWh: Hot desert), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. June is typically the warmest month, averaging 30.8°C, while January is the coldest at 23.3°C. Annual precipitation averages around 373mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly precipitation.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Eritrea
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Eritrea
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Eritrea
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Eritrea
Latest month is provisional and may be revised by the data provider in the next update cycle.
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Records – Eritrea
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen BWh · AridEritrea has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±3.0°C) and a wet/dry cycle (12× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly precipitation climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Jul (-14 mm, -16%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore 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.
Country-level temperature anomaly, sourced from Copernicus ERA5 and Hadley HadCRUT5.
Annual country and global CO₂ emissions, from the Global Carbon Project.
Monthly rainfall - Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD) preferred, World Bank CCKP/CRU TS fallback where GPCC lacks direct coverage.
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
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 headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Eritrea?
Eritrea has a arid climate (Köppen BWh: Hot desert), with both a warm/cold cycle and a wet/dry cycle through the year. June is typically the warmest month, averaging 30.8°C, while January is the coldest at 23.3°C. Annual precipitation averages around 373mm, concentrated mostly in the wet season.
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.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Eritrea climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Eritrea climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.