Climate and average weather in Mekele
In Mekele, the weather is warm, wet, and mostly clear and remarkably steady, with daytime highs holding near warm levels all year. The wettest stretch peaks around August.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Mekele typically varies from 9°C to 26°C, and is rarely below 7°C or above 29°C. May is the hottest month of the year, while December is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Mekele for warm-weather activities are from late April to mid June and mid September to mid March.
- Hottest
- May
- 26°
- Coldest
- Dec
- 9°
- Wettest
- Aug
- 284 mm
- Driest
- Dec
- 10 mm
- Rain / yr
- 877 mm
- 131 wet days
- Daylight
- 11.2–12.8 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 2,068 m
- 13.5°N
- Clearest
- Dec
- 24% cloud
Mekele is the capital city in the northern Tigray Region of Ethiopia.
- Density
- 18,736/km²
- people per km²
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Mekele weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around mid September to mid March.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Mekele, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in Mekele stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is May, with an average high of 26°C and low of 14°C; the coolest is December, with an average low of 9°C and high of 22°C.
Days typically run about 12°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 13°C) in February.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 22 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 22 |
| Avg low (°C) | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 9 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 10 |
| Feb | 24 | 11 |
| Mar | 25 | 12 |
| Apr | 25 | 13 |
| May | 26 | 14 |
| Jun | 26 | 14 |
| Jul | 23 | 14 |
| Aug | 22 | 14 |
| Sep | 24 | 12 |
| Oct | 23 | 12 |
| Nov | 23 | 10 |
| Dec | 22 | 9 |
Average hourly temperature in Mekele
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on May afternoons, near 26°C, and coldest before dawn in December, near 9°C.
Mekele weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22° / 10° | 23 | 6.1 | 11.3 | 7.8 |
| Feb | 24° / 11° | 21 | 5.6 | 11.6 | 8.1 |
| Mar | 25° / 12° | 60 | 11.4 | 11.9 | 7.1 |
| Apr | 25° / 13° | 61 | 11.6 | 12.3 | 6.9 |
| May | 26° / 14° | 26 | 5.6 | 12.6 | 7.7 |
| Jun | 26° / 14° | 72 | 11.7 | 12.8 | 6.6 |
| Jul | 23° / 14° | 228 | 29.1 | 12.7 | 4.0 |
| Aug | 22° / 14° | 284 | 30.1 | 12.4 | 3.8 |
| Sep | 24° / 12° | 67 | 11.2 | 12.1 | 7.1 |
| Oct | 23° / 12° | 12 | 2.4 | 11.7 | 8.7 |
| Nov | 23° / 10° | 13 | 3.1 | 11.4 | 8.6 |
| Dec | 22° / 9° | 10 | 2.7 | 11.2 | 8.5 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Mekele gets about 877 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is often wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 3.0 months, from around Jun 16 to Sep 15, peaking in August at about 99% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Oct 4.
August is the wettest month by volume, with 284 mm over about 30 wet days; December is the driest, with 10 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 20 | 20 | 36 | 39 | 19 | 40 | 93 | 96 | 39 | 8 | 10 | 10 |
| Rain days | 6 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 29 | 30 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | 6 |
| Feb | 20 | 6 |
| Mar | 36 | 11 |
| Apr | 39 | 12 |
| May | 19 | 6 |
| Jun | 40 | 12 |
| Jul | 93 | 29 |
| Aug | 96 | 30 |
| Sep | 39 | 11 |
| Oct | 8 | 2 |
| Nov | 10 | 3 |
| Dec | 10 | 3 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Mekele collects about 877 mm of rain across 131 wet days — roughly 73 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. August is the wettest month with 284 mm, while December is the driest at just 10 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 67% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 23 | 21 | 60 | 61 | 26 | 72 | 228 | 284 | 67 | 12 | 13 | 10 |
| Rain days | 6 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 29 | 30 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | 6 |
| Feb | 21 | 6 |
| Mar | 60 | 11 |
| Apr | 61 | 12 |
| May | 26 | 6 |
| Jun | 72 | 12 |
| Jul | 228 | 29 |
| Aug | 284 | 30 |
| Sep | 67 | 11 |
| Oct | 12 | 2 |
| Nov | 13 | 3 |
| Dec | 10 | 3 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Mekele, 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 8 and lasts for 4.1 months, ending around January 9. The clearest month is November, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 89% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around June 6 and lasts for 3.1 months, ending around September 7. The cloudiest month is August, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 55% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 77 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 69 | 50 | 45 | 80 | 87 | 89 | 88 |
| Cloudier (%) | 23 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 31 | 50 | 55 | 20 | 13 | 11 | 12 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 77 | 23 |
| Feb | 79 | 21 |
| Mar | 79 | 21 |
| Apr | 79 | 21 |
| May | 78 | 22 |
| Jun | 69 | 31 |
| Jul | 50 | 50 |
| Aug | 45 | 55 |
| Sep | 80 | 20 |
| Oct | 87 | 13 |
| Nov | 89 | 11 |
| Dec | 88 | 12 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 4, brings about 12 h 48 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 11 h 12 min — a swing of roughly 1 h 36 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.3 | 11.6 | 11.9 | 12.3 | 12.6 | 12.8 | 12.7 | 12.4 | 12.1 | 11.7 | 11.4 | 11.2 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:53 | 6:50 | 6:35 | 6:13 | 6:00 | 5:59 | 6:06 | 6:13 | 6:14 | 6:16 | 6:26 | 6:42 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:10 | 6:23 | 6:29 | 6:31 | 6:37 | 6:46 | 6:49 | 6:40 | 6:19 | 5:58 | 5:48 | 5:55 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11.3 | 6:53 | 6:10 |
| Feb | 11.6 | 6:50 | 6:23 |
| Mar | 11.9 | 6:35 | 6:29 |
| Apr | 12.3 | 6:13 | 6:31 |
| May | 12.6 | 6:00 | 6:37 |
| Jun | 12.8 | 5:59 | 6:46 |
| Jul | 12.7 | 6:06 | 6:49 |
| Aug | 12.4 | 6:13 | 6:40 |
| Sep | 12.1 | 6:14 | 6:19 |
| Oct | 11.7 | 6:16 | 5:58 |
| Nov | 11.4 | 6:26 | 5:48 |
| Dec | 11.2 | 6:42 | 5:55 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Mekele averages about 16 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 2 and 23 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 6.0 months, from around Sep 12 to Mar 13. The sunniest month is November, with roughly 22 sunny days (bright).
The greyest month is August, down near 5 sunny days — about 80% fewer than the November peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 18 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| Sky | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Mixed | Gloomy | Gloomy | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18 | Bright |
| Feb | 16 | Bright |
| Mar | 16 | Bright |
| Apr | 15 | Bright |
| May | 18 | Bright |
| Jun | 13 | Mixed |
| Jul | 5 | Gloomy |
| Aug | 5 | Gloomy |
| Sep | 16 | Bright |
| Oct | 22 | Bright |
| Nov | 22 | Bright |
| Dec | 22 | Bright |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Mekele, the air stays dry or comfortable essentially all year. Even in August, the muggiest month, it feels humid or worse only about 1% of the time — humidity is not something you need to plan around here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 99 | 96 | 87 | 80 | 90 | 76 | 14 | 7 | 73 | 96 | 95 | 97 |
| Comfortable (%) | 1 | 4 | 13 | 20 | 10 | 24 | 86 | 92 | 27 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
| Humid (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 99 | 1 | 0 |
| Feb | 96 | 4 | 0 |
| Mar | 87 | 13 | 0 |
| Apr | 80 | 20 | 0 |
| May | 90 | 10 | 0 |
| Jun | 76 | 24 | 0 |
| Jul | 14 | 86 | 0 |
| Aug | 7 | 92 | 1 |
| Sep | 73 | 27 | 0 |
| Oct | 96 | 4 | 0 |
| Nov | 95 | 5 | 0 |
| Dec | 97 | 3 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
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 Mekele is typically calm, near 8 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 2.9 months, from around Oct 2 to Dec 27. The windiest month is October, averaging about 9 km/h (calm).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Jul 27 to Oct 1, with September the calmest month at about 6 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | calm |
| Feb | 8 | calm |
| Mar | 8 | calm |
| Apr | 8 | calm |
| May | 8 | calm |
| Jun | 8 | calm |
| Jul | 8 | calm |
| Aug | 6 | calm |
| Sep | 6 | calm |
| Oct | 9 | calm |
| Nov | 9 | calm |
| Dec | 8 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Mekele
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Mekele's monsoon runs July–August, when most of the year's rain falls.
Mekele sees seasonal dust haze (June–August), heaviest in July.
Best time to visit Mekele
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Mekele throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around early March, Mekele is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Mekele for general outdoor tourist activities run from late April to mid June and again from mid September to mid March, with a peak score in the first week of October.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 7.8 | 8.0 | 7.1 | 6.9 | 7.6 | 6.5 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 7.0 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.4 |
| Rating | ideal | ideal | good | good | ideal | good | fair | fair | good | ideal | ideal | ideal |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.8 | ideal |
| Feb | 8.0 | ideal |
| Mar | 7.1 | good |
| Apr | 6.9 | good |
| May | 7.6 | ideal |
| Jun | 6.5 | good |
| Jul | 4.0 | fair |
| Aug | 3.8 | fair |
| Sep | 7.0 | good |
| Oct | 8.7 | ideal |
| Nov | 8.6 | ideal |
| Dec | 8.4 | ideal |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Mekele for hot-weather activities run from late April to mid June and again from mid September to mid November, with a peak score in the last week of May.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Mekele, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
Mekele packs about the same all year — highs hold near 26°C. Across the year the things worth having are light clothes and sun protection.
In May, Mekele sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 14°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes. About 6 days see rain.
UV index (midday) in Mekele by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Mekele peaks around March 20 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 12 at about 10 (very 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) | 12 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12 | Extreme |
| Feb | 13 | Extreme |
| Mar | 15 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 13 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 10 | Very high |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 10 | Very high |
| Dec | 9 | Very high |
Average hourly UV index in Mekele
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in March the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8.5 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 7.5 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7.5 | 7 | 7 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 | 5.5 | 5 | 4.5 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Feb | 7.5 | 6 |
| Mar | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Apr | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| May | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Jun | 8 | 6 |
| Jul | 8 | 5.5 |
| Aug | 8 | 6 |
| Sep | 8 | 6 |
| Oct | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Nov | 7 | 5 |
| Dec | 7 | 4.5 |
Air quality in Mekele by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Mekele is worst in June — around 31 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 26 | 26 | 28 | 23 | 25 | 31 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 23 | 21 | 23 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | Moderate |
| Feb | 26 | Moderate |
| Mar | 28 | Moderate |
| Apr | 23 | Moderate |
| May | 25 | Moderate |
| Jun | 31 | Moderate |
| Jul | 27 | Moderate |
| Aug | 28 | Moderate |
| Sep | 28 | Moderate |
| Oct | 23 | Moderate |
| Nov | 21 | Moderate |
| Dec | 23 | Moderate |
Growing season
Mekele is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Mekele banks about 2,871 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around June.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 185 | 200 | 257 | 275 | 313 | 303 | 254 | 245 | 238 | 233 | 194 | 175 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 185 |
| Feb | 200 |
| Mar | 257 |
| Apr | 275 |
| May | 313 |
| Jun | 303 |
| Jul | 254 |
| Aug | 245 |
| Sep | 238 |
| Oct | 233 |
| Nov | 194 |
| Dec | 175 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
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.
Mekele receives about 6.0 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — intense — with a clear seasonal swing between 5.0 and 7.0 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 4.2 months, from around Feb 3 to Jun 9. The brightest month is April, averaging about 7.0 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is July, down near 5.2 kWh/m² — roughly 26% less than the April peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.7 | 6.3 | 6.7 | 7.0 | 6.8 | 5.9 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.9 | 6.3 | 6.0 | 5.7 |
| Level | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.7 | Bright |
| Feb | 6.3 | Intense |
| Mar | 6.7 | Intense |
| Apr | 7.0 | Intense |
| May | 6.8 | Intense |
| Jun | 5.9 | Bright |
| Jul | 5.2 | Bright |
| Aug | 5.2 | Bright |
| Sep | 5.9 | Bright |
| Oct | 6.3 | Intense |
| Nov | 6.0 | Intense |
| Dec | 5.7 | Bright |
Where is Mekele?
Mekele sits at 13.5°N, 39.5°E, 2,068 m above sea level, in Ethiopia. The nearest listed city is Dolo, 18 km away.
Topography around Mekele
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Mekele.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Mekele has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 341 m around an average of 2,104 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 905 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,776 m.
The land around Mekele is covered by artificial surfaces (50%) and cropland (25%) within 3 km, cropland (61%) within 16 km, and grassland (33%), cropland (30%) and shrubs (25%) within 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
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 Mekele (13.4967°, 39.4753°, elevation 2,068 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).