Dire Dawa weather in March

In March, Dire Dawa sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 95 mm of rain across 10 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 48 min at the start of March to 12 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Dire Dawa's 10th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Dire Dawa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
15°
6th coldest
Rainfall
95 mm
10 wet days
Daylight
11 h 54 min
6:24 AM – 6:20 PM
Cloud cover
50%
10th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
6.05 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.9
out of 10

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month.

A typical March day in Dire Dawa reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 1°C warmer than February and on par with April.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12615
22615
32615
42615
52615
62615
72615
82615
92615
102615
112615
122615
132615
142615
152615
162615
172615
182615
192616
202616
212616
222616
232616
242616
252616
262616
272616
282616
292616
302616
312616

Dire Dawa weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 3rd-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan24° / 12°244.311.58.3
Feb25° / 14°304.211.78.0
Mar26° / 15°951011.96.9
Apr26° / 16°15314.312.26.0
May27° / 17°9511.512.46.4
Jun27° / 17°308.412.56.9
Jul26° / 16°9218.912.55.6
Aug25° / 16°12722.412.35.2
Sep25° / 16°1101712.15.9
Oct25° / 15°74811.87.4
Nov24° / 13°364.311.68.4
Dec23° / 12°203.111.58.5

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 23% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 37%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17426
27327
37228
47129
57030
66931
76832
86733
96733
106535
116535
126436
136337
146337
156337
166238
176238
186139
196139
206040
215941
225941
235941
245941
255842
265842
275842
285743
295743
305743
315743

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Dire Dawa gets around 95 mm of rain over 10 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 31% and peaks near 40% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
119
220
321
422
523
624
725
826
927
1028
1129
1229
1330
1431
1532
1632
1733
1834
1934
2035
2136
2236
2337
2437
2538
2638
2738
2839
2939
3039
3140

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, March lands in the dry band about 61% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
176195
275205
374215
474215
573225
672235
771245
868266
967276
1066286
1165296
1264306
1363316
1461327
1561327
1660337
1758348
1858348
1956359
2056359
21543610
22543610
23533611
24533611
25533611
26513712
27513712
28513712
29503713
30503713
31503713

Wind in March

Winds average 6 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 48 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 18 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:32 AM to 6:15 AM, and sunset from 6:20 PM to 6:20 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.86:326:20
211.86:316:20
311.86:316:20
411.86:306:20
511.86:306:20
611.86:296:20
711.96:296:20
811.96:286:20
911.96:286:20
1011.96:276:20
1111.96:276:20
1211.96:266:20
1311.96:266:20
1411.96:256:20
1511.96:256:20
1611.96:246:20
1711.96:246:20
1812.06:236:20
1912.06:226:20
2012.06:226:20
2112.06:216:20
2212.06:216:20
2312.06:206:20
2412.06:206:20
2512.06:196:20
2612.06:186:20
2712.06:186:20
2812.06:176:20
2912.16:176:20
3012.16:166:20
3112.16:156:20

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 6.05 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.45 kWh/m² to a high of 6.23 kWh/m² in February across the year — March's 6.05 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.3Intense
26.3Intense
36.3Intense
46.2Intense
56.2Intense
66.2Intense
76.2Intense
86.2Intense
96.2Intense
106.1Intense
116.1Intense
126.1Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.0Intense
166.0Intense
176.0Intense
186.0Intense
196.0Intense
206.0Bright
216.0Bright
226.0Bright
236.0Bright
246.0Bright
256.0Bright
266.0Bright
276.0Bright
286.0Bright
295.9Bright
305.9Bright
315.9Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Dire Dawa

In seasonPeak

None of Dire Dawa's seasonal hazards are active in March. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Dire Dawa sees seasonal dust haze (June–July), heaviest in July.

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

Is March a good time to visit Dire Dawa?

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

6.9
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
6.6
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit Dire Dawa for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Dire Dawa in March

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

In March, Dire Dawa sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 15°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothesrain gear

UV index in Dire Dawa in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 15 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Dire Dawa peaks around March 21 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 10 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 21UV 15Dec 10UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr15Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec10Extreme

Air quality in Dire Dawa in March

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Dire Dawa is worst in June — around 30 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateJun 1929 µg/m³Dec 1021 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan22Moderate
Feb24Moderate
Mar24Moderate
Apr21Moderate
May25Moderate
Jun30Moderate
Jul28Moderate
Aug22Moderate
Sep26Moderate
Oct24Moderate
Nov21Moderate
Dec21Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Dire Dawa?

Dire Dawa sits at 9.6°N, 41.9°E, 1,204 m above sea level, in Ethiopia. The nearest listed city is ‘Alemaya, 27 km away.

Topography around Dire Dawa

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Dire Dawa has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 322 m around an average of 1,233 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,339 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,714 m.

The land around Dire Dawa is covered by shrubs (49%) and artificial surfaces (36%) within 3 km, shrubs (72%) within 16 km, and shrubs (44%) and grassland (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
322 m
16 km
1,339 m
80 km
2,714 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwetland
March weather nearby: ‘Alemaya 27 km · Felana 38 km · Chelenko 40 km · Harar 42 km · Funyan Bīra 54 km · Deder 56 km · Babīlē 65 km · Ārabī 80 km

Ethiopia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type C / E / F / L
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 37% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$933
2025
Happiness
4.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
14%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
8.5
per 100k, 2012
Road deaths
28.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 499
Religion
Ethiopian Orthodox 44%Muslim 31%Protestant 23%other 1%

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 Dire Dawa (9.5931°, 41.8661°, elevation 1,204 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. 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).