Massawa in Summer
In summer (June, July and August), Massawa sees average daytime highs around 36°C and overnight lows near 30°C, with 11 mm of rain over about 2 wet days across the season. It is the warmest season of the year and the driest season of the year.
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 36°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% of the time across summer, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Summer is Massawa's weakest season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Massawa's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 36°C
- warmest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 30°C
- Rainfall
- 11 mm
- 2 wet days
- Avg wind
- 9 km/h
- Travel score
- 2.8
- weakest season of the year
- Months
- Jun · Jul · Aug
Temperature in Massawa in Summer
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 36°C.
A typical summer day in Massawa reaches about 36°C and drops to 30°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is July, the coolest June.
How summer really feels in Massawa
Once humidity and wind are folded in, summer brings about 92 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
The story in summer is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Massawa weather by month
How the three summer months (June, July and August) 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 | 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 Summer
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 58% of the time across summer.
Chance of precipitation in Summer
Massawa gets around 11 mm of rain over 2 wet days across summer. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Summer
Most of summer feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Summer
Winds average 9 km/h across summer.
Sunrise & sunset in Summer
Daylight runs from about 12 h 54 min in early June to 12 h 18 min by late August. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Summer
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across summer, about 6.2 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Massawa
In summer, Massawa overlaps 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 summer a good time to visit Massawa?
Our two travel scores rate summer for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
summer 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 Summer
From summer's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In summer, Massawa sees daytime highs around 36°C and nights near 30°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
Sea temperature near Massawa in Summer
The nearest coast averages about 32°C across summer — 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 Summer
Clear-sky midday UV across summer 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 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 Summer
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where summer 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.