Massawa weather in March
In March, Massawa sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 33 mm of rain across 7.8 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.
Highs climb over the month, from about 26°C in the first days to 28°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 44% of the time in March, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of March to 12 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Massawa's 9th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Massawa's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 27°
- 9th warmest
- Overnight low
- 23°
- 4th coldest
- Rainfall
- 33 mm
- 7.8 wet days
- Daylight
- 11 h 54 min
- 6:35 AM – 6:28 PM
- Cloud cover
- 46%
- 9th clearest
- Wind
- 9 km/h
- 2nd windiest
- Solar energy
- 5.65 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 7.0
- 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 March
Highs climb over the month, from about 26°C in the first days to 28°C by the end.
A typical March day in Massawa reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 23°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 2°C warmer than February and about 3°C cooler than April.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
| Avg low (°C) | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | 22 |
| 2 | 26 | 22 |
| 3 | 26 | 22 |
| 4 | 26 | 22 |
| 5 | 26 | 22 |
| 6 | 26 | 23 |
| 7 | 27 | 23 |
| 8 | 27 | 23 |
| 9 | 27 | 23 |
| 10 | 27 | 23 |
| 11 | 27 | 23 |
| 12 | 27 | 23 |
| 13 | 27 | 23 |
| 14 | 27 | 23 |
| 15 | 27 | 23 |
| 16 | 27 | 23 |
| 17 | 27 | 23 |
| 18 | 27 | 23 |
| 19 | 27 | 23 |
| 20 | 27 | 23 |
| 21 | 27 | 23 |
| 22 | 27 | 23 |
| 23 | 27 | 23 |
| 24 | 28 | 23 |
| 25 | 28 | 23 |
| 26 | 28 | 24 |
| 27 | 28 | 24 |
| 28 | 28 | 24 |
| 29 | 28 | 24 |
| 30 | 28 | 24 |
| 31 | 28 | 24 |
How March really feels in Massawa
Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
March sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Massawa weather by month
How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 9th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25° / 22° | 109 | 16.5 | 11.2 | 5.8 |
| Feb | 25° / 22° | 64 | 12.6 | 11.5 | 6.2 |
| Mar | 27° / 23° | 33 | 7.8 | 11.9 | 7.0 |
| Apr | 30° / 25° | 16 | 4.3 | 12.3 | 6.0 |
| May | 33° / 27° | 5 | 1.3 | 12.7 | 4.7 |
| Jun | 35° / 29° | 1 | 0.1 | 12.9 | 3.3 |
| Jul | 36° / 30° | 5 | 1 | 12.8 | 2.5 |
| Aug | 36° / 30° | 5 | 0.9 | 12.5 | 2.5 |
| Sep | 35° / 29° | 2 | 0.4 | 12.1 | 3.5 |
| Oct | 32° / 27° | 18 | 4.5 | 11.6 | 5.0 |
| Nov | 29° / 25° | 49 | 7.4 | 11.3 | 6.1 |
| Dec | 27° / 23° | 85 | 13 | 11.1 | 6.3 |
Cloud cover in March
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 44% of the time in March.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 35%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 63 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 71 | 73 | 74 | 74 |
| Cloudier (%) | 43 | 42 | 41 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 26 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 57 | 43 |
| 2 | 58 | 42 |
| 3 | 59 | 41 |
| 4 | 60 | 40 |
| 5 | 61 | 39 |
| 6 | 61 | 39 |
| 7 | 61 | 39 |
| 8 | 62 | 38 |
| 9 | 62 | 38 |
| 10 | 62 | 38 |
| 11 | 62 | 38 |
| 12 | 62 | 38 |
| 13 | 62 | 38 |
| 14 | 62 | 38 |
| 15 | 62 | 38 |
| 16 | 63 | 37 |
| 17 | 63 | 37 |
| 18 | 64 | 36 |
| 19 | 65 | 35 |
| 20 | 65 | 35 |
| 21 | 65 | 35 |
| 22 | 66 | 34 |
| 23 | 67 | 33 |
| 24 | 68 | 32 |
| 25 | 69 | 31 |
| 26 | 70 | 30 |
| 27 | 71 | 29 |
| 28 | 71 | 29 |
| 29 | 73 | 27 |
| 30 | 74 | 26 |
| 31 | 74 | 26 |
Chance of precipitation in March
Massawa gets around 33 mm of rain over 7.8 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 26% and peaks near 32% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 32 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 32 |
| 2 | 31 |
| 3 | 30 |
| 4 | 30 |
| 5 | 29 |
| 6 | 29 |
| 7 | 28 |
| 8 | 28 |
| 9 | 28 |
| 10 | 28 |
| 11 | 27 |
| 12 | 27 |
| 13 | 27 |
| 14 | 27 |
| 15 | 27 |
| 16 | 27 |
| 17 | 27 |
| 18 | 26 |
| 19 | 26 |
| 20 | 25 |
| 21 | 25 |
| 22 | 24 |
| 23 | 24 |
| 24 | 23 |
| 25 | 22 |
| 26 | 22 |
| 27 | 21 |
| 28 | 21 |
| 29 | 20 |
| 30 | 20 |
| 31 | 19 |
Humidity in March
Most of March feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, March lands in the oppressive band about 44% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 82% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Comfortable (%) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Humid (%) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 |
| Muggy (%) | 46 | 45 | 44 | 43 | 43 | 41 | 41 | 40 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 30 |
| Oppressive (%) | 36 | 37 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 45 | 45 | 44 | 45 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 45 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 51 | 51 | 53 | 54 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 46 | 36 | 0 |
| 2 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 45 | 37 | 0 |
| 3 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 44 | 37 | 0 |
| 4 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 43 | 38 | 0 |
| 5 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 43 | 39 | 0 |
| 6 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 41 | 39 | 1 |
| 7 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 41 | 40 | 1 |
| 8 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 40 | 41 | 1 |
| 9 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 39 | 42 | 1 |
| 10 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 38 | 42 | 1 |
| 11 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 37 | 43 | 1 |
| 12 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 37 | 44 | 1 |
| 13 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 36 | 44 | 1 |
| 14 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 36 | 44 | 1 |
| 15 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 35 | 45 | 1 |
| 16 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 35 | 45 | 1 |
| 17 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 34 | 44 | 1 |
| 18 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 34 | 45 | 1 |
| 19 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 34 | 45 | 1 |
| 20 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 34 | 44 | 1 |
| 21 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 34 | 44 | 1 |
| 22 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 34 | 45 | 1 |
| 23 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 34 | 45 | 1 |
| 24 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 34 | 46 | 1 |
| 25 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 34 | 47 | 2 |
| 26 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 34 | 48 | 2 |
| 27 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 33 | 49 | 2 |
| 28 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 33 | 51 | 2 |
| 29 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 32 | 51 | 3 |
| 30 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 31 | 53 | 3 |
| 31 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 30 | 54 | 4 |
Wind in March
Winds average 9 km/h in March.
Across March, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | calm |
| 2 | 9 | calm |
| 3 | 9 | calm |
| 4 | 9 | calm |
| 5 | 9 | calm |
| 6 | 9 | calm |
| 7 | 9 | calm |
| 8 | 9 | calm |
| 9 | 9 | calm |
| 10 | 9 | calm |
| 11 | 9 | calm |
| 12 | 9 | calm |
| 13 | 9 | calm |
| 14 | 10 | calm |
| 15 | 10 | calm |
| 16 | 10 | calm |
| 17 | 10 | calm |
| 18 | 10 | calm |
| 19 | 10 | calm |
| 20 | 10 | calm |
| 21 | 10 | calm |
| 22 | 10 | calm |
| 23 | 10 | calm |
| 24 | 10 | calm |
| 25 | 10 | calm |
| 26 | 10 | calm |
| 27 | 10 | calm |
| 28 | 10 | calm |
| 29 | 9 | calm |
| 30 | 9 | calm |
| 31 | 9 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in March
Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of March to 12 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 24 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:45 AM to 6:24 AM, and sunset from 6:25 PM to 6:31 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:45 | 6:45 | 6:44 | 6:43 | 6:43 | 6:42 | 6:41 | 6:41 | 6:40 | 6:39 | 6:39 | 6:38 | 6:37 | 6:36 | 6:36 | 6:35 | 6:34 | 6:34 | 6:33 | 6:32 | 6:31 | 6:31 | 6:30 | 6:29 | 6:28 | 6:27 | 6:27 | 6:26 | 6:25 | 6:24 | 6:24 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:25 | 6:26 | 6:26 | 6:26 | 6:26 | 6:27 | 6:27 | 6:27 | 6:27 | 6:27 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:30 | 6:30 | 6:30 | 6:30 | 6:30 | 6:30 | 6:30 | 6:30 | 6:31 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11.7 | 6:45 | 6:25 |
| 2 | 11.7 | 6:45 | 6:26 |
| 3 | 11.7 | 6:44 | 6:26 |
| 4 | 11.7 | 6:43 | 6:26 |
| 5 | 11.7 | 6:43 | 6:26 |
| 6 | 11.7 | 6:42 | 6:27 |
| 7 | 11.8 | 6:41 | 6:27 |
| 8 | 11.8 | 6:41 | 6:27 |
| 9 | 11.8 | 6:40 | 6:27 |
| 10 | 11.8 | 6:39 | 6:27 |
| 11 | 11.8 | 6:39 | 6:28 |
| 12 | 11.8 | 6:38 | 6:28 |
| 13 | 11.8 | 6:37 | 6:28 |
| 14 | 11.9 | 6:36 | 6:28 |
| 15 | 11.9 | 6:36 | 6:28 |
| 16 | 11.9 | 6:35 | 6:28 |
| 17 | 11.9 | 6:34 | 6:29 |
| 18 | 11.9 | 6:34 | 6:29 |
| 19 | 11.9 | 6:33 | 6:29 |
| 20 | 12.0 | 6:32 | 6:29 |
| 21 | 12.0 | 6:31 | 6:29 |
| 22 | 12.0 | 6:31 | 6:29 |
| 23 | 12.0 | 6:30 | 6:30 |
| 24 | 12.0 | 6:29 | 6:30 |
| 25 | 12.0 | 6:28 | 6:30 |
| 26 | 12.0 | 6:27 | 6:30 |
| 27 | 12.1 | 6:27 | 6:30 |
| 28 | 12.1 | 6:26 | 6:30 |
| 29 | 12.1 | 6:25 | 6:30 |
| 30 | 12.1 | 6:24 | 6:30 |
| 31 | 12.1 | 6:24 | 6:31 |
Solar energy in March
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.65 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 — March's 5.65 kWh/m² falls in the middle.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.1 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 2 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 3 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 4 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 5 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 6 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 7 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 8 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 9 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 10 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 11 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 12 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 13 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 14 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 15 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 16 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 17 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 18 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 19 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 20 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 21 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 22 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 23 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 24 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 25 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 26 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 27 | 5.9 | Bright |
| 28 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 29 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.1 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Massawa
None of Massawa's seasonal hazards are active in March. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.
Massawa sees seasonal dust haze (May–September), heaviest in July.
Is March a good time to visit Massawa?
Our two travel scores rate March for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
March is one of the better times to visit Massawa for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Massawa in March
From March's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In March, Massawa sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection. About 8 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Massawa in March
The nearest coast averages about 27°C in March — 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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 28 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 27 | Warm |
| Mar | 27 | Warm |
| Apr | 29 | Tropical |
| May | 30 | Tropical |
| Jun | 31 | Tropical |
| Jul | 32 | Tropical |
| Aug | 32 | Tropical |
| Sep | 32 | Tropical |
| Oct | 32 | Tropical |
| Nov | 30 | Tropical |
| Dec | 28 | Tropical |
UV index in Massawa in March
Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 12 (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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 9 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Level | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Very high | Very high | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | Very high |
| Feb | 10 | Very high |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 13 | Extreme |
| May | 9 | Very high |
| Jun | 9 | Very high |
| Jul | 8 | Very high |
| Aug | 9 | Very high |
| Sep | 10 | Extreme |
| Oct | 9 | Very high |
| Nov | 8 | Very high |
| Dec | 7 | High |
Air quality in Massawa in March
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where March 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).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 27 | 31 | 47 | 83 | 94 | 47 | 67 | 94 | 79 | 64 | 33 | 23 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Poor | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Moderate |
| Feb | 31 | Moderate |
| Mar | 47 | Poor |
| Apr | 83 | Unhealthy |
| May | 94 | Unhealthy |
| Jun | 47 | Poor |
| Jul | 67 | Unhealthy |
| Aug | 94 | Unhealthy |
| Sep | 79 | Unhealthy |
| Oct | 64 | Unhealthy |
| Nov | 33 | Moderate |
| Dec | 23 | Moderate |
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.
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.
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).