🇪🇷Eritrea

Eritrea extends from 12°22′ to 18°02′N as a Horn of Africa nation with a 1,151 km Red Sea coastline and three sharply contrasting altitude zones—the cool central highlands at 1,800 to 2,500 m anchored by Asmara and Mount Soira at 3,018 m, the hot Eastern lowlands encompassing the Danakil Depression that drops to approximately −110 m at the Lake Asal-fringe Sebkat area and ranks as one of Earth's hottest places, and the western lowlands sloping gently toward Sudan. This extreme topography produces three Köppen regimes: humid subtropical highland Cwb in the central highlands around Asmara, hot semi-arid BSh across the western lowlands, and hot arid to hyperarid BWh spanning the Danakil Depression and the Red Sea coast including Massawa and Assab.

Asmara at 2,325 m averages 13°C in January and 19°C in July with 520 mm of rainfall sharply concentrated in a July–August kremti big-rains season plus a smaller March–April azmera little-rains. Massawa on the Red Sea stands among Earth's hottest cities, averaging 31°C year-round and frequently exceeding 45°C in June during the hot khamsin, with under 200 mm of rain. Assab on the southern Red Sea coast is hotter still and even drier.

The Danakil Depression near Dallol records summer averages over 35°C and is one of the hottest year-round places on Earth, hosting active volcanoes such as Erta Ale's lava lake and vast salt deserts. The Bisha mining belt in the west is hot semi-arid with summer maxima surpassing 40°C. Recurrent multi-year Horn of Africa droughts—notably 2008–2011, 2015–2017, and 2020–2023—have driven severe food insecurity. Sea-level rise and intensifying coastal heat threaten the Red Sea ports of Massawa and Assab.

Our archive covers 1 Eritrean cities with daily ERA5 reanalysis data going back to 1940. The warmest July averages occur in Asmara, around 21.8°C, while Asmara records the coldest January nights near 8°C. Comparing the last decade against the 1940–1970 baseline, mean temperatures across these cities have risen by about 1.6°C.