Addis Ababa Climate Trends
Ethiopia · Africa · 50 years of climate trend data
This page tracks how Addis Ababa's climate has shifted over 50 years of daily measurements, warmer summers, milder winters, and changes in rainfall, rather than current conditions. The two clearest signs of change: heavy-rain days have grown from 13.6 to 16.8 a year and average winter temperatures have risen by 1.6°C. Measurement period: the last 50 years (1976-2025).
Data through September 13, 2026.
Frequently asked questions about Addis Ababa's climate
How much warmer have summers in Addis Ababa become?
The average daytime high across June, July and August rose by 0.6°C between 1976-1980 and 2021-2025. That is a five-year average at each end rather than two isolated summers, so a single exceptional heatwave or cool summer does not drive the number.
Have winters in Addis Ababa become milder?
The average daytime high across December, January and February rose by 1.6°C between 1976-1980 and 2021-2025. In many capitals in this dataset winter is changing faster than summer, which shows up most clearly in the frost-day count below.
How many days above 30°C does Addis Ababa get a year?
Addis Ababa averaged 0 days a year above 30°C in 2021-2025, the same as 0 in 1976-1980. So the count of genuinely hot days has barely shifted here in 50 years, even where other figures on this page have.
How many frost days does Addis Ababa still get?
Addis Ababa does not drop below freezing in any year of this record, not in 1976-1980 and not in 2021-2025. Frost is not a useful measure of change here, though the heat figures above are.
Is spring arriving earlier in Addis Ababa?
Spring now starts about 0.1 weeks earlier than in 1976-1980. The start point is the first day the trailing seven-day average high crosses 12°C, a fixed in-house measure used only to compare Addis Ababa against itself rather than against other cities.
Has the growing season in Addis Ababa grown longer?
The growing season here is measured as the stretch between the start of spring and the first autumn night below freezing. Addis Ababa has no reliable autumn frost in this record, so that measure yields no meaningful number.
Is rainfall in Addis Ababa getting heavier?
Addis Ababa averaged 16.8 days a year with more than 20mm of rain in 2021-2025, up from 13.6 in 1976-1980. Warmer air holds more water vapour, so the same annual rainfall increasingly arrives in shorter, harder bursts, which loads drains and water storage more than the annual total suggests.
