Massawa weather in August

In August, Massawa sees average daytime highs of 36°C and overnight lows near 30°C, with 5 mm of rain across 0.9 wet days and about 12.5 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 36°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% of the time in August, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 42 min at the start of August to 12 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Massawa's 8th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Massawa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
36°
1st warmest
Overnight low
30°
12th coldest
Rainfall
5 mm
0.9 wet days
Daylight
12 h 30 min
6:10 AM – 6:42 PM
Cloud cover
44%
8th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
6.13 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.5
out of 10

Massawa is city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea.

Density
48/km²
people per km²

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 36°C through the month.

A typical August day in Massawa reaches about 36°C in the afternoon and slips back to 30°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 35°C and 37°C. Set against its neighbours, August runs on par with July and about 1°C warmer than September.

25°30°35°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13630
23630
33630
43630
53630
63630
73630
83630
93630
103630
113630
123630
133630
143630
153630
163630
173630
183630
193630
203630
213630
223630
233630
243630
253630
263630
273630
283630
293630
303630
313630

How August really feels in Massawa

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 31 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
31
31 feel dangerously hot (≥ 39°C)
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in August is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Massawa weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 1st-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 22°10916.511.25.8
Feb25° / 22°6412.611.56.2
Mar27° / 23°337.811.97.0
Apr30° / 25°164.312.36.0
May33° / 27°51.312.74.7
Jun35° / 29°10.112.93.3
Jul36° / 30°5112.82.5
Aug36° / 30°50.912.52.5
Sep35° / 29°20.412.13.5
Oct32° / 27°184.511.65.0
Nov29° / 25°497.411.36.1
Dec27° / 23°851311.16.3

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 26%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16436
26436
36436
46436
56436
66436
76535
86634
96733
106832
117030
127129
137129
147228
157426
167426
177525
187525
197723
207723
217822
227921
238020
248020
258119
268119
278317
288317
298416
308416
318515

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Massawa gets around 5 mm of rain over 0.9 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 3% and peaks near 5% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
15
25
35
44
54
64
74
84
94
104
113
123
133
143
153
163
173
183
193
203
213
222
232
242
252
262
272
282
292
302
312

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of August feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, August lands in the oppressive band about 66% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 99% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1043561
2043561
3142561
4141571
5140581
6139591
7138601
8137611
9136621
10135631
11134641
12134641
13133651
14132661
15131671
16130681
17129691
18129691
19128701
20128701
21127711
22127711
23127711
24126721
25126721
26126721
27126721
28126721
29126721
30127702
31127702

Wind in August

Winds average 9 km/h in August.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 42 min at the start of August to 12 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 24 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 6:07 AM to 6:12 AM, and sunset from 6:49 PM to 6:32 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.76:076:49
212.76:076:49
312.76:086:48
412.76:086:48
512.76:086:48
612.66:086:47
712.66:096:47
812.66:096:46
912.66:096:46
1012.66:096:45
1112.66:096:45
1212.66:106:44
1312.66:106:44
1412.66:106:43
1512.56:106:43
1612.56:106:42
1712.56:116:41
1812.56:116:41
1912.56:116:40
2012.56:116:40
2112.56:116:39
2212.46:116:38
2312.46:126:38
2412.46:126:37
2512.46:126:36
2612.46:126:35
2712.46:126:35
2812.46:126:34
2912.46:126:33
3012.36:126:33
3112.36:126:32

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 6.13 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.05 kWh/m² to a high of 6.82 kWh/m² in May across the year — August's 6.13 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
56.0Bright
66.0Bright
76.0Intense
86.0Intense
96.0Intense
106.1Intense
116.1Intense
126.1Intense
136.1Intense
146.2Intense
156.2Intense
166.2Intense
176.2Intense
186.2Intense
196.2Intense
206.2Intense
216.2Intense
226.3Intense
236.3Intense
246.3Intense
256.3Intense
266.3Intense
276.3Intense
286.3Intense
296.3Intense
306.3Intense
316.3Intense
Planning a trip in August

Hazard calendar for Massawa

In seasonPeak

In August, Massawa sits inside its dust season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Massawa sees seasonal dust haze (May–September), heaviest in July.

Dust
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is August a good time to visit Massawa?

Our two travel scores rate August for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

2.5
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
6.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

August is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Massawa. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Massawa in August

From August's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In August, Massawa sees daytime highs around 36°C and nights near 30°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Massawa in August

The nearest coast averages about 32°C in August — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 16 km away) is warmest in September at about 32°C and coldest in February near 27°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°32°34°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr29Tropical
May30Tropical
Jun31Tropical
Jul32Tropical
Aug32Tropical
Sep32Tropical
Oct32Tropical
Nov30Tropical
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Massawa in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks 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 Massawa peaks around April 11 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 13 at about 7 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highVery highHighApr 11UV 12Dec 13UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan9Very high
Feb10Very high
Mar12Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May9Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep10Extreme
Oct9Very high
Nov8Very high
Dec7High

Air quality in Massawa in August

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where August falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Massawa is worst in May — around 94 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 4.2× the cleanest month (December, 23 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0306090120JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorUnhealthyUnhealthyModerateMay 1292 µg/m³Dec 2023 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan27Moderate
Feb31Moderate
Mar47Poor
Apr83Unhealthy
May94Unhealthy
Jun47Poor
Jul67Unhealthy
Aug94Unhealthy
Sep79Unhealthy
Oct64Unhealthy
Nov33Moderate
Dec23Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Massawa?

Massawa sits at 15.6°N, 39.5°E, 9 m above sea level, in Eritrea. The nearest listed city is Asmara, 65 km away.

AsmaraMendeferaKerenĀdīgratIntich’oIdaga HamusAdwaAksum

Topography around Massawa

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Massawa.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Massawa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 10 m around an average of 1 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 320 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,874 m.

The land around Massawa is covered by water (76%) within 3 km, water (48%) and bare terrain (45%) within 16 km, and water (39%) and bare terrain (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
10 m
16 km
320 m
80 km
2,874 m
shrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
August weather nearby: Asmara 65 km · Mendefera 107 km · Keren 111 km · Ādīgrat 148 km · Intich’o 152 km · Idaga Hamus 158 km · Adwa 172 km · Aksum 184 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 Massawa (15.6081°, 39.4746°, elevation 9 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).