Assab in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Assab sees average daytime highs around 28°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 18 mm of rain over about 4 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the 2nd-wettest season.
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 28°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 79% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels muggy.
Winter is Assab's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Assab's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 28°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 24°C
- Rainfall
- 18 mm
- 4 wet days
- Avg wind
- 30 km/h
- Travel score
- 8.0
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Assab in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 28°C.
A typical winter day in Assab reaches about 28°C and drops to 24°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is December, the coolest January.
How winter really feels in Assab
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
winter sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Assab weather by month
How the three winter months (December, January and February) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| 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 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 79% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Assab gets around 18 mm of rain over 4 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Winter
Most of winter feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Winter
Winds average 30 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 11 h 18 min in early December to 11 h 42 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Winter
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across winter, about 5.6 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Assab
None of Assab's seasonal hazards peak in winter. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do.
Assab sees seasonal dust haze (May–September), heaviest in July.
Is winter a good time to visit Assab?
Our two travel scores rate winter for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
winter is one of the better times to visit Assab for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Assab in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Assab sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and a windbreaker. Worth having: sun protection.
Sea temperature near Assab in Winter
The nearest coast averages about 26°C across winter — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
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 in Assab in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
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 |
Air quality in Assab in Winter
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where winter falls, not just the annual 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 |
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.