Massawa weather in May
In May, Massawa sees average daytime highs of 33°C and overnight lows near 27°C, with 5 mm of rain across 1.3 wet days and about 12.7 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.
Highs climb over the month, from about 32°C in the first days to 34°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 75% of the time in May, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 12 h 36 min at the start of May to 12 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Massawa's 3rd-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Massawa's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 33°
- 5th warmest
- Overnight low
- 27°
- 8th coldest
- Rainfall
- 5 mm
- 1.3 wet days
- Daylight
- 12 h 42 min
- 5:57 AM – 6:40 PM
- Cloud cover
- 24%
- 3rd clearest
- Wind
- 9 km/h
- 8th windiest
- Solar energy
- 6.82 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 4.7
- 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 May
Highs climb over the month, from about 32°C in the first days to 34°C by the end.
A typical May day in Massawa reaches about 33°C in the afternoon and slips back to 27°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 31°C and 35°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°C warmer than April and about 2°C cooler than June.
| 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) | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 |
| Avg low (°C) | 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 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 | 26 |
| 2 | 32 | 26 |
| 3 | 32 | 27 |
| 4 | 32 | 27 |
| 5 | 32 | 27 |
| 6 | 32 | 27 |
| 7 | 32 | 27 |
| 8 | 32 | 27 |
| 9 | 32 | 27 |
| 10 | 32 | 27 |
| 11 | 32 | 27 |
| 12 | 32 | 27 |
| 13 | 33 | 27 |
| 14 | 33 | 27 |
| 15 | 33 | 27 |
| 16 | 33 | 27 |
| 17 | 33 | 27 |
| 18 | 33 | 27 |
| 19 | 33 | 27 |
| 20 | 33 | 28 |
| 21 | 33 | 28 |
| 22 | 33 | 28 |
| 23 | 34 | 28 |
| 24 | 34 | 28 |
| 25 | 34 | 28 |
| 26 | 34 | 28 |
| 27 | 34 | 28 |
| 28 | 34 | 28 |
| 29 | 34 | 28 |
| 30 | 34 | 28 |
| 31 | 34 | 28 |
How May really feels in Massawa
Once humidity and wind are folded in, May 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.
The story in May is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Massawa weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 10th-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 May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 75% of the time in May.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 12%. 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 (%) | 87 | 87 | 87 | 86 | 86 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 88 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 87 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 91 | 91 | 91 | 91 | 91 |
| Cloudier (%) | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 87 | 13 |
| 2 | 87 | 13 |
| 3 | 87 | 13 |
| 4 | 86 | 14 |
| 5 | 86 | 14 |
| 6 | 87 | 13 |
| 7 | 87 | 13 |
| 8 | 87 | 13 |
| 9 | 87 | 13 |
| 10 | 88 | 12 |
| 11 | 87 | 13 |
| 12 | 87 | 13 |
| 13 | 87 | 13 |
| 14 | 87 | 13 |
| 15 | 87 | 13 |
| 16 | 87 | 13 |
| 17 | 88 | 12 |
| 18 | 88 | 12 |
| 19 | 88 | 12 |
| 20 | 88 | 12 |
| 21 | 88 | 12 |
| 22 | 90 | 10 |
| 23 | 90 | 10 |
| 24 | 90 | 10 |
| 25 | 90 | 10 |
| 26 | 90 | 10 |
| 27 | 91 | 9 |
| 28 | 91 | 9 |
| 29 | 91 | 9 |
| 30 | 91 | 9 |
| 31 | 91 | 9 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Massawa gets around 5 mm of rain over 1.3 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 4% and peaks near 7% on the wettest days.
| 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 (%) | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 7 |
| 2 | 6 |
| 3 | 6 |
| 4 | 6 |
| 5 | 6 |
| 6 | 6 |
| 7 | 6 |
| 8 | 6 |
| 9 | 5 |
| 10 | 5 |
| 11 | 5 |
| 12 | 5 |
| 13 | 5 |
| 14 | 5 |
| 15 | 4 |
| 16 | 4 |
| 17 | 4 |
| 18 | 4 |
| 19 | 4 |
| 20 | 4 |
| 21 | 3 |
| 22 | 3 |
| 23 | 3 |
| 24 | 2 |
| 25 | 2 |
| 26 | 2 |
| 27 | 2 |
| 28 | 1 |
| 29 | 1 |
| 30 | 1 |
| 31 | 1 |
Humidity in May
Most of May feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, May lands in the oppressive band about 44% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 88% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comfortable (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Humid (%) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 |
| Muggy (%) | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 |
| Oppressive (%) | 54 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 50 | 49 | 48 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 44 | 42 | 41 | 40 | 39 | 37 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 30 |
| Miserable (%) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 9 |
| Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 54 | 24 |
| 2 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 54 | 24 |
| 3 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 54 | 24 |
| 4 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 54 | 24 |
| 5 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 54 | 24 |
| 6 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 54 | 24 |
| 7 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 54 | 24 |
| 8 | 2 | 4 | 18 | 52 | 24 |
| 9 | 2 | 4 | 18 | 52 | 24 |
| 10 | 2 | 4 | 18 | 52 | 24 |
| 11 | 2 | 5 | 19 | 50 | 24 |
| 12 | 2 | 5 | 19 | 49 | 24 |
| 13 | 2 | 5 | 20 | 48 | 25 |
| 14 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 47 | 25 |
| 15 | 2 | 6 | 20 | 46 | 25 |
| 16 | 2 | 7 | 21 | 45 | 25 |
| 17 | 2 | 8 | 21 | 44 | 25 |
| 18 | 2 | 9 | 22 | 42 | 25 |
| 19 | 2 | 9 | 22 | 41 | 25 |
| 20 | 2 | 10 | 23 | 40 | 24 |
| 21 | 2 | 11 | 24 | 39 | 24 |
| 22 | 3 | 12 | 25 | 37 | 23 |
| 23 | 3 | 13 | 26 | 36 | 22 |
| 24 | 3 | 14 | 27 | 35 | 21 |
| 25 | 3 | 15 | 28 | 34 | 19 |
| 26 | 3 | 16 | 30 | 34 | 17 |
| 27 | 4 | 18 | 30 | 32 | 16 |
| 28 | 4 | 19 | 31 | 32 | 14 |
| 29 | 4 | 20 | 32 | 31 | 12 |
| 30 | 4 | 21 | 33 | 30 | 11 |
| 31 | 5 | 21 | 34 | 30 | 9 |
Wind in May
Winds average 9 km/h in May.
Across May, 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.
| 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 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 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 | 9 | calm |
| 15 | 9 | calm |
| 16 | 9 | calm |
| 17 | 9 | calm |
| 18 | 9 | calm |
| 19 | 9 | calm |
| 20 | 9 | calm |
| 21 | 9 | calm |
| 22 | 9 | calm |
| 23 | 9 | calm |
| 24 | 9 | calm |
| 25 | 9 | calm |
| 26 | 9 | calm |
| 27 | 9 | calm |
| 28 | 9 | calm |
| 29 | 9 | calm |
| 30 | 9 | calm |
| 31 | 9 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 12 h 36 min at the start of May to 12 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 18 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 6:03 AM to 5:54 AM, and sunset from 6:36 PM to 6:45 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) | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.9 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:03 | 6:02 | 6:02 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:00 | 6:00 | 5:59 | 5:59 | 5:59 | 5:58 | 5:58 | 5:58 | 5:57 | 5:57 | 5:57 | 5:56 | 5:56 | 5:56 | 5:56 | 5:55 | 5:55 | 5:55 | 5:55 | 5:55 | 5:54 | 5:54 | 5:54 | 5:54 | 5:54 | 5:54 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:36 | 6:36 | 6:36 | 6:37 | 6:37 | 6:37 | 6:37 | 6:38 | 6:38 | 6:38 | 6:39 | 6:39 | 6:39 | 6:39 | 6:40 | 6:40 | 6:40 | 6:41 | 6:41 | 6:41 | 6:42 | 6:42 | 6:42 | 6:43 | 6:43 | 6:43 | 6:44 | 6:44 | 6:44 | 6:45 | 6:45 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.6 | 6:03 | 6:36 |
| 2 | 12.6 | 6:02 | 6:36 |
| 3 | 12.6 | 6:02 | 6:36 |
| 4 | 12.6 | 6:01 | 6:37 |
| 5 | 12.6 | 6:01 | 6:37 |
| 6 | 12.6 | 6:00 | 6:37 |
| 7 | 12.6 | 6:00 | 6:37 |
| 8 | 12.6 | 5:59 | 6:38 |
| 9 | 12.6 | 5:59 | 6:38 |
| 10 | 12.7 | 5:59 | 6:38 |
| 11 | 12.7 | 5:58 | 6:39 |
| 12 | 12.7 | 5:58 | 6:39 |
| 13 | 12.7 | 5:58 | 6:39 |
| 14 | 12.7 | 5:57 | 6:39 |
| 15 | 12.7 | 5:57 | 6:40 |
| 16 | 12.7 | 5:57 | 6:40 |
| 17 | 12.7 | 5:56 | 6:40 |
| 18 | 12.7 | 5:56 | 6:41 |
| 19 | 12.8 | 5:56 | 6:41 |
| 20 | 12.8 | 5:56 | 6:41 |
| 21 | 12.8 | 5:55 | 6:42 |
| 22 | 12.8 | 5:55 | 6:42 |
| 23 | 12.8 | 5:55 | 6:42 |
| 24 | 12.8 | 5:55 | 6:43 |
| 25 | 12.8 | 5:55 | 6:43 |
| 26 | 12.8 | 5:54 | 6:43 |
| 27 | 12.8 | 5:54 | 6:44 |
| 28 | 12.8 | 5:54 | 6:44 |
| 29 | 12.8 | 5:54 | 6:44 |
| 30 | 12.8 | 5:54 | 6:45 |
| 31 | 12.9 | 5:54 | 6:45 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 6.82 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.
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 — May's 6.82 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 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) | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 2 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 3 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 4 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 5 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 6 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 7 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 8 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 9 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 10 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 11 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 12 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 13 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 14 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 15 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 16 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 17 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 18 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 19 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 26 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 27 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.8 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Massawa
In May, 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.
Is May a good time to visit Massawa?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is a reasonable time to visit Massawa for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Massawa in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Massawa sees daytime highs around 33°C and nights near 27°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
Sea temperature near Massawa in May
The nearest coast averages about 30°C in May — 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 May
Clear-sky midday UV in May 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.
| 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 May
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May 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).