Climate and average weather in Assab
In Assab, the summers are oppressive, sweltering, dry, and mostly clear and the winters are warm, windy, and clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Assab typically varies from 23°C to 35°C, and is rarely below 22°C or above 36°C. July is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Assab for warm-weather activities are from early January to late March and mid November to late December.
- Hottest
- Jul
- 35°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 23°
- Wettest
- Aug
- 16 mm
- Driest
- Jun
- 0 mm
- Rain / yr
- 56 mm
- 9 wet days
- Daylight
- 11.2–12.8 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 22 m
- 13.0°N
- Clearest
- Nov
- 14% cloud
Assab is city in Eritrea.
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Assab weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around early January to late March.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Assab, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in Assab stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is July, with an average high of 35°C and low of 31°C; the coolest is January, with an average low of 23°C and high of 28°C.
Days typically run about 4°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 28 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 28 |
| Avg low (°C) | 23 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 24 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 23 |
| Feb | 28 | 24 |
| Mar | 30 | 25 |
| Apr | 32 | 27 |
| May | 33 | 29 |
| Jun | 34 | 30 |
| Jul | 35 | 31 |
| Aug | 35 | 31 |
| Sep | 34 | 30 |
| Oct | 32 | 28 |
| Nov | 30 | 25 |
| Dec | 28 | 24 |
How hot and cold Assab really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the hottest afternoons, once humidity is folded in, Assab feels like about 44°C (around August 29). About 246 days a year carry some heat stress, and 154 of them tip into dangerous heat (feels-like above 39°C), peaking in August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 29 | 29 | 32 | 36 | 40 | 41 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 37 | 32 | 30 |
| Air high (°C) | 28 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 28 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 23 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 25 | 24 |
| Air low (°C) | 23 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 24 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 28 | 23 | 23 |
| Feb | 29 | 28 | 23 | 24 |
| Mar | 32 | 30 | 25 | 25 |
| Apr | 36 | 32 | 27 | 27 |
| May | 40 | 33 | 29 | 29 |
| Jun | 41 | 34 | 30 | 30 |
| Jul | 43 | 35 | 31 | 31 |
| Aug | 43 | 35 | 31 | 31 |
| Sep | 43 | 34 | 30 | 30 |
| Oct | 37 | 32 | 27 | 28 |
| Nov | 32 | 30 | 25 | 25 |
| Dec | 30 | 28 | 24 | 24 |
Average hourly temperature in Assab
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on July afternoons, near 35°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 23°C.
Assab weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28° / 23° | 9 | 1.7 | 11.3 | 8.3 |
| Feb | 28° / 24° | 4 | 1.2 | 11.6 | 8.0 |
| Mar | 30° / 25° | 3 | 0.8 | 11.9 | 6.9 |
| Apr | 32° / 27° | 2 | 0.7 | 12.3 | 5.6 |
| May | 33° / 29° | 1 | 0.2 | 12.6 | 4.7 |
| Jun | 34° / 30° | 0 | 0.1 | 12.8 | 3.9 |
| Jul | 35° / 31° | 8 | 0.7 | 12.7 | 3.4 |
| Aug | 35° / 31° | 16 | 1.7 | 12.4 | 3.4 |
| Sep | 34° / 30° | 4 | 0.5 | 12.1 | 3.9 |
| Oct | 32° / 28° | 3 | 0.6 | 11.7 | 5.2 |
| Nov | 30° / 25° | 1 | 0.4 | 11.4 | 6.7 |
| Dec | 28° / 24° | 5 | 0.8 | 11.2 | 7.8 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Assab gets about 56 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is mostly dry, and that barely changes with the seasons — rain is spread fairly evenly through the year.
August is the wettest month by volume, with 16 mm over about 2 wet days; June is the driest, with 0 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Rain days | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 | 2 |
| Feb | 4 | 1 |
| Mar | 2 | 1 |
| Apr | 2 | 1 |
| May | 1 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 2 | 1 |
| Aug | 5 | 2 |
| Sep | 2 | 1 |
| Oct | 2 | 1 |
| Nov | 1 | 0 |
| Dec | 3 | 1 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Assab collects about 56 mm of rain across 9 wet days — roughly 5 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. August is the wettest month with 16 mm, while June is the driest at just 0 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 58% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| Rain days | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | 2 |
| Feb | 4 | 1 |
| Mar | 3 | 1 |
| Apr | 2 | 1 |
| May | 1 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 8 | 1 |
| Aug | 16 | 2 |
| Sep | 4 | 1 |
| Oct | 3 | 1 |
| Nov | 1 | 0 |
| Dec | 5 | 1 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Assab, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around September 12 and lasts for 3.9 months, ending around January 9. The clearest month is November, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 93% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around May 2 and lasts for 4.4 months, ending around September 11. The cloudiest month is July, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 22% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 87 | 87 | 90 | 87 | 84 | 80 | 78 | 82 | 87 | 90 | 93 | 93 |
| Cloudier (%) | 13 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 18 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87 | 13 |
| Feb | 87 | 13 |
| Mar | 90 | 10 |
| Apr | 87 | 13 |
| May | 84 | 16 |
| Jun | 80 | 20 |
| Jul | 78 | 22 |
| Aug | 82 | 18 |
| Sep | 87 | 13 |
| Oct | 90 | 10 |
| Nov | 93 | 7 |
| Dec | 93 | 7 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 12, brings about 12 h 48 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 11 h 12 min — a swing of roughly 1 h 36 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.3 | 11.6 | 11.9 | 12.3 | 12.6 | 12.8 | 12.7 | 12.4 | 12.1 | 11.7 | 11.4 | 11.2 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:39 | 6:37 | 6:21 | 6:01 | 5:47 | 5:46 | 5:54 | 6:00 | 6:01 | 6:03 | 6:13 | 6:28 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:58 | 6:11 | 6:16 | 6:18 | 6:23 | 6:32 | 6:36 | 6:26 | 6:06 | 5:45 | 5:36 | 5:42 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11.3 | 6:39 | 5:58 |
| Feb | 11.6 | 6:37 | 6:11 |
| Mar | 11.9 | 6:21 | 6:16 |
| Apr | 12.3 | 6:01 | 6:18 |
| May | 12.6 | 5:47 | 6:23 |
| Jun | 12.8 | 5:46 | 6:32 |
| Jul | 12.7 | 5:54 | 6:36 |
| Aug | 12.4 | 6:00 | 6:26 |
| Sep | 12.1 | 6:01 | 6:06 |
| Oct | 11.7 | 6:03 | 5:45 |
| Nov | 11.4 | 6:13 | 5:36 |
| Dec | 11.2 | 6:28 | 5:42 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Assab averages about 23 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 17 and 27 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 3.8 months, from around Sep 17 to Jan 11. The sunniest month is November, with roughly 26 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is July, down near 18 sunny days — about 31% fewer than the November peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 24 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| Sky | Brilliant | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | Brilliant |
| Feb | 21 | Bright |
| Mar | 24 | Brilliant |
| Apr | 23 | Brilliant |
| May | 23 | Bright |
| Jun | 19 | Bright |
| Jul | 19 | Bright |
| Aug | 20 | Bright |
| Sep | 22 | Bright |
| Oct | 25 | Brilliant |
| Nov | 26 | Brilliant |
| Dec | 27 | Brilliant |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
Assab is humid all year round — on a typical day the air feels at least humid, and there is no real dry season to wait for.
The stickiest month is April, when it feels muggy, oppressive or miserable about 95% of the time. Even in March, the mildest month, the air is dry or comfortable only 3% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comfortable (%) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | 17 | 17 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 14 |
| Muggy (%) | 69 | 61 | 38 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 51 | 66 |
| Oppressive (%) | 12 | 19 | 47 | 51 | 32 | 52 | 31 | 14 | 12 | 46 | 40 | 20 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 63 | 46 | 69 | 86 | 87 | 30 | 2 | 0 |
| Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 | 17 | 69 | 12 | 0 |
| Feb | 2 | 17 | 61 | 19 | 0 |
| Mar | 3 | 11 | 38 | 47 | 1 |
| Apr | 1 | 5 | 22 | 51 | 22 |
| May | 0 | 1 | 4 | 32 | 63 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 | 1 | 52 | 46 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 69 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 86 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 87 |
| Oct | 0 | 4 | 20 | 46 | 30 |
| Nov | 0 | 7 | 51 | 40 | 2 |
| Dec | 0 | 14 | 66 | 20 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Assab is typically breezy, near 24 km/h, and varies a lot with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 6.4 months, from around Oct 17 to Apr 29. The windiest month is January, averaging about 30 km/h (windy).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Apr 30 to Oct 16, with September the calmest month at about 17 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 30 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 24 | 30 | 30 |
| Feels | windy | windy | breezy | breezy | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | breezy | windy | windy |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | windy |
| Feb | 30 | windy |
| Mar | 29 | breezy |
| Apr | 27 | breezy |
| May | 20 | light breeze |
| Jun | 18 | light breeze |
| Jul | 20 | light breeze |
| Aug | 18 | light breeze |
| Sep | 17 | light breeze |
| Oct | 24 | breezy |
| Nov | 30 | windy |
| Dec | 30 | windy |
Hazard calendar for Assab
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Assab sees seasonal dust haze (May–September), heaviest in July.
Best time to visit Assab
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Assab throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid March, Assab is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Assab for general outdoor tourist activities is from mid November to late March, with a peak score in the last week of January.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 8.3 | 8.0 | 6.9 | 5.6 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 5.2 | 6.7 | 7.8 |
| Rating | ideal | ideal | good | good | fair | fair | poor | poor | fair | fair | good | ideal |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.3 | ideal |
| Feb | 8.0 | ideal |
| Mar | 6.9 | good |
| Apr | 5.6 | good |
| May | 4.7 | fair |
| Jun | 3.9 | fair |
| Jul | 3.4 | poor |
| Aug | 3.4 | poor |
| Sep | 3.9 | fair |
| Oct | 5.2 | fair |
| Nov | 6.7 | good |
| Dec | 7.8 | ideal |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Assab for hot-weather activities is from mid September to late June, with a peak score in the first week of December.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Assab, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around July (highs near 35°C), the essentials are light clothes, sun protection and a windbreaker. In the cold season around January (highs near 28°C), pack light clothes, sun protection and a windbreaker.
In July, Assab sees daytime highs around 35°C and nights near 31°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection and a windbreaker.
Sea temperature near Assab
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 18 km away) is warmest in September at about 32°C and coldest in February near 25°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 26 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 29 | 27 | 26 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | Warm |
| Feb | 25 | Warm |
| Mar | 26 | Warm |
| Apr | 28 | Warm |
| May | 29 | Tropical |
| Jun | 31 | Tropical |
| Jul | 31 | Tropical |
| Aug | 31 | Tropical |
| Sep | 32 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 27 | Warm |
| Dec | 26 | Warm |
UV index (midday) in Assab by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Assab peaks around March 23 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 13 at about 7 (very high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 10 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Very high |
| Feb | 11 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 10 | Very high |
| Jul | 9 | Very high |
| Aug | 10 | Very high |
| Sep | 10 | Extreme |
| Oct | 10 | Very high |
| Nov | 8 | Very high |
| Dec | 7 | Very high |
Average hourly UV index in Assab
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in March the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 6 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 4.5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 | 5.5 | 5 | 4.5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3.5 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | 4.5 |
| Feb | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Mar | 8 | 6 |
| Apr | 8 | 6 |
| May | 8 | 5.5 |
| Jun | 7.5 | 5 |
| Jul | 7.5 | 4.5 |
| Aug | 7.5 | 5 |
| Sep | 7.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 7 | 5 |
| Nov | 6.5 | 4 |
| Dec | 6 | 3.5 |
Air quality in Assab by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Assab is worst in July — around 44 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.6× the cleanest month (November, 17 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 25 | 28 | 28 | 23 | 24 | 36 | 44 | 39 | 26 | 18 | 17 | 19 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | Moderate |
| Feb | 28 | Moderate |
| Mar | 28 | Moderate |
| Apr | 23 | Moderate |
| May | 24 | Moderate |
| Jun | 36 | Poor |
| Jul | 44 | Poor |
| Aug | 39 | Poor |
| Sep | 26 | Moderate |
| Oct | 18 | Moderate |
| Nov | 17 | Moderate |
| Dec | 19 | Moderate |
Growing season
Assab is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Assab banks about 7,056 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 478 | 440 | 532 | 573 | 645 | 664 | 708 | 705 | 666 | 616 | 530 | 501 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 478 |
| Feb | 440 |
| Mar | 532 |
| Apr | 573 |
| May | 645 |
| Jun | 664 |
| Jul | 708 |
| Aug | 705 |
| Sep | 666 |
| Oct | 616 |
| Nov | 530 |
| Dec | 501 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Assab receives about 6.1 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — intense — with a clear seasonal swing between 5.4 and 7.0 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 3.5 months, from around Feb 20 to Jun 7. The brightest month is April, averaging about 6.9 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is January, down near 5.5 kWh/m² — roughly 21% less than the April peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.6 | 7.0 | 6.7 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.2 | 5.8 | 5.4 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.5 | Bright |
| Feb | 6.0 | Bright |
| Mar | 6.6 | Intense |
| Apr | 7.0 | Intense |
| May | 6.7 | Intense |
| Jun | 5.9 | Bright |
| Jul | 5.8 | Bright |
| Aug | 6.0 | Intense |
| Sep | 6.0 | Intense |
| Oct | 6.2 | Intense |
| Nov | 5.8 | Bright |
| Dec | 5.4 | Bright |
Where is Assab?
Assab sits at 13.0°N, 42.7°E, 22 m above sea level, in Eritrea. The nearest listed city is Mocha, 65 km away.
Topography around Assab
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Assab.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Assab has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 171 m around an average of 16 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 396 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,961 m.
The land around Assab is covered by bare terrain (51%) and water (40%) within 3 km, water (56%) and bare terrain (41%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (55%) and water (44%) within 80 km.
Eritrea travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type C / L
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 33% of US
- price level, 2021
- GDP per capita
- $689
- 2011
- Homicide rate
- 15.6
- per 100k, 2012
- Road deaths
- 37.9
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Low
- World Bank
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Assab (13.0092°, 42.7394°, elevation 22 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).