Climate of Somalia

Climate of Somalia

Where is the country of Somalia located? The Republic of Somalia is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is the easternmost country of mainland Africa. Somalia borders Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia. Furthermore, it lies on the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Somalia is best known for its anarchy and violent piracy off the coast of Somalia. Somalia has two dry climates: the warm desert climate and the warm steppe climate. The northern and eastern part of Somalia hardly receives any precipitation. In the southwest and along the border with Ethiopia, the amount of precipitation is increasing. These are the areas where the warm steppe climate prevails.

Heat

Somalia has high to very high temperatures throughout the year. During the day the temperature rises to at least thirty degrees almost everywhere throughout the year. The only area where it is slightly cooler is in the higher elevations of the Somali Highlands. For example, the maximum temperature in Hargeysa is on average between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius. The warmest areas of Somalia can be found in the low-lying areas in the northwest. In Bender Cassim on the Gulf of Aden, the mercury rises most days in the period April to October to values ​​between 35 and 40 degrees. In combination with a fairly high relative humidity, it can feel unpleasant in the summer months. The nights unfortunately offer little cooling.

Precipitation

Large parts of Somalia have to deal with almost constant dry conditions. For example, the northeast of Somalia has a climate in which precipitation rarely falls more than a few tens of millimeters on an annual basis. More southerly and on the windward side of the mountains in the northwest, there is more precipitation. The wettest areas are the plateaus, where an annual sum of between 200 and 300 millimeters is recorded, and the south, where locally even more than four hundred millimeters falls per year.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Maximum temperature Minimum temperature Hours of sunshine per day Days of rainfall per month Water temperature
January 32℃ 21℃ 9 2 27℃
February 32℃ 21℃ 10 1 27℃
March 33℃ 23℃ 9 3 28℃
April 33℃ 23℃ 9 8 29℃
May 32℃ 23℃ 9 8 28℃
June 31℃ 22℃ 8 10 27℃
July 30℃ 22℃ 7 11 26℃
August 30℃ 21℃ 8 4 26℃
September 30℃ 22℃ 9 5 26℃
October 31℃ 22℃ 8 6 27℃
November 32℃ 22℃ 9 8 28℃
December 32℃ 22℃ 9 4 27℃

Best time to visit Somalia

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Somalia? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. The Federal Republic of Somalia is a country that lies in the extreme eastern tip of the African continent. Somalia is, as it were, curled around Ethiopia. The northern part is on the Gulf of Aden. This strait lies between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The southern part of Somalia is located on the Indian Ocean. Most of Somalia has a warm desert climate. In the southwest there is a warm steppe climate. This is in the lowlands where the southwest monsoon blows, bringing more rain here. Before we talk about the best time to travel to Somalia, it is good to know that it is not an easily accessible country for travelers to say the least. The security situation is bad. Therefore, first check the official travel advice issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before booking your flight ticket to Somalia.

Best months

If you still want or have to travel to Somalia, winter is the best time to travel. The period from November to March offers the best weather to visit Somalia. You avoid the summer heat, where it easily reaches 40 degrees or higher on the north coast. You also avoid the monsoon period that causes rain in the northern mountain areas and on the east coast. There is one exception and that is the southwest. There are two rainy periods. The first is from the end of March to the end of May and the second covers the months of October and November.

Tropical Cyclones

The eastern regions of Somalia may experience tropical cyclones that can form over the Indian Ocean. The Puntland region is particularly sensitive to this. Tropical cyclones can mainly occur in the period from May to December. The greatest chance of a hurricane moving towards Somalia is at the beginning and end of the hurricane season.

Somalia