Ethiopia weather by month

In Addis Ababa, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year begins around September 23 and lasts for 6.0 months, ending around March 23. The clearest month is December, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 78% of the time on average.

The cloudier part of the year begins around June 4 and lasts for 3.6 months, ending around September 22. The cloudiest month is July, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 82% of the time.

This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.

Across the year, average wind speed in Addis Ababa is typically calm, near 7 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.

The windier part of the year lasts 6.9 months, from around Oct 3 to Apr 30. The windiest month is February, averaging about 8 km/h (calm).

The calmer part of the year runs from around May 1 to Oct 2, with August the calmest month at about 5 km/h.

Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.

Addis Ababa receives about 5.9 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 4.7 and 6.5 kWh/m².

The brighter stretch of the year lasts 4.3 months, from around Jan 17 to May 26. The brightest month is March, averaging about 6.5 kWh/m² (intense).

The dimmest month is July, down near 4.8 kWh/m² — roughly 26% less than the March peak.