Highest daytime temperatures in Addis Ababa on the odd occasion go beyond twenty one-twenty two degree celcious and for much of the year on the odd occasion exceed above sixty one or sixty four degree Fahrenheit. However temperatures can change by 15C or more in as many minutes, and a difference of up to 30C between day and night is possible. Temperature at night frequently drop to a chilly fifty degree Fahrenheit or less. Most places are also swept by winds that can be strong and dust-laden in dry areas.

Rainfall differs depending on area. In the highlands that occupy about half of the country and include Addis Ababa (the capital), the year's rainfall amounts to about one thousand to one thousand five hundred millimeter. There are two rainy seasons a year: the irregular short rains (from late January to early March) and the long rains (that stretch from June until mid September).

The rain can be brief and heavy or it can be steady nevertheless light, lasting on the odd occasion the entire day. The long rains can seem endless, and many expatriate European summer at that time of year. However when the rains end the air becomes very dry almost overnight. The longest days are in June and July, when there are app forty-five minutes more daylight than in December and January. However long days do not mean ?summer? in Ethiopian. Ethiopians refer to the long rains as ?winter?. Ethiopian New Year, or ?spring?, festivities come in September (locally called Meskerem) when the long rains end. May is the warmest month and is usually a time of bright sunny days and strong winds. Daytime temperatures in January run just as high, nevertheless the nights are much chillier. June, July, and August are grey, rainy and cool.