CHAPTER FIVE

THE CLIMATE OF ETHIOPIA AND THE HORN

5.1 Introduction
• Ethiopia is characterized by a wide variety of altitudinal ranges
and diverse climatic conditions.
• Because of its closeness to the equator and the Indian Ocean, the
country is subjected to large temporal and spatial variations in
elements of weather and climate.
• The climate of Ethiopia is mainly controlled by Intertropical
Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and associated atmospheric
circulations as well as by the complex topography of the country.
• Weather is the instantaneous or current state of the atmosphere.
• It is a word used to denote the state of the atmosphere
(temperature, sunshine, rainfall, wind, cloud, pressure etc) at a
particular place for a short period of time.
• Climate refers the state of the atmosphere over long time periods,
decades and more.
• It is the composite of daily weather conditions recorded for long
periods of time (35years).
5.2. Elements and Controls of Weather and Climate
5.2.1 Elements of weather and climate
The main elements of weather and climate includes:-
 temperature, sunshine duration in a day;
 Precipitation, rainfall, atmospheric humidity, cloud type;
 wind speed and direction;
 air pressure;
 visibility etc
5.2.2 Controls of Weather and climate
Some of the controls of weather and climate are:-
• Latitude/angle of the sun .
• Inclination of the Earth's Axis
• Altitude and mountain barriers
• Winds and air pressure
• Vegetation and soils
• Land and water distribution
• Ocean currents
• Hence, these determining factors are called controls of
weather and climate or climatic controls. Some of the major
controls are discussed below.
a. Latitude
• Latitude is the distance of a location from the equator.
• As the distance from the equator towards the poles increase,
less solar insolation is received and the temperature become
colder.
Latitudinal location of Ethiopia and the Horn resulted in:
 high average temperatures,
 high daily and small annual ranges of temperature,
 no significant variation in length of day and night between
summer and winter.
b. Inclination of the Earth's Axis
• It determines the location of the Tropics of Cancer, Capricorn
and the Arctic and Antarctic Circles.
• In turn causes the directness of the sun and differences in
length of day and seasons.
Equinoxes and Solstices
• An equinox is the instant of time when the sun strikes the
plane of the Earth's equator. During this passage the length of
day and night are equal.
• Equinox appears twice a year. Let’s see two major equinoxes:
 The Vernal (spring) equinox/march 21: is the day when the
point of verticality of sun’s rays crosses the equator
northwards. It marks the beginning of spring season.
 The Autumn equinox/september23: is the day when the point
of verticality of sun’s rays crosses the equator southwards. It
marks the beginning of Autumn season.
• Solstice is an event when the overhead sun appears to cross
northern or southern points relative to the equator resulting in
unequal length of days and nights in the hemispheres. There
are two types of Solstices namely:
• The summer Solstice/June 21: is a time when the sun is
directly over head at the tropic of cancer (23 ½0N). During
this time days are longer than nights in northern hemisphere.
 The winter solstice/December22: is a time when the sun is
directly over head at the tropic of Capricorn (23 ½0S). During
this time days are longer than nights in southern hemisphere.
c. Altitude
• Altitude is the height of location above the sea level. Under
normal conditions there is a general decrease in temperature
with increasing elevation.
• The average rate at which temperature changes per unit of
altitudinal change is known as lapse rate.
Adiabatic Adiabatic refers to the change in temperature of a
mass of parcel of air that is undergoing expansion (cooling) or
compression (heating) without actual loss or gain of heat from
outside.
Adiabatic Lapse Rate is the change in temperature due to
expansion or compression as a parcel of air rises or falls.
• Adiabatic cooling occurs as a result of the rising of air, where
there is no heat exchange between the babbles of air and the
surrounding atmosphere.
Types of lapse rate
Three types of lapse rates are identified;
i. Dry adiabatic laps rate rate(DALR) –is the rate at which
unsaturated air cools or warms as it rises or sinks by
10OC/1000m.
ii. Wet Adiabatic laps rate- is the rate at which saturated air
cools or warms as it rises or sinks by 5OC/1000m). Saturated air
cools at a slower rate than unsaturated air.
iii. Environmental lapse rate or Atmospheric lapse late- refers
to the actual change of temperature with altitude. Air
temperature is high at low elevations and decreases with altitude.
The principal exception to the rule is the cause of temperature
inversions. The rate of change is 6.50C/1000 meters.
5.3. Spatiotemporal Patterns and Distribution of
Temperature and Rainfall in Ethiopia
5.3.1. Spatiotemporal Distribution of Temperature
Altitude is an important element in determining temperature of
Ethiopia and the Horn.
• The spatial distribution of temperature in Ethiopia is primarily
determined by altitude followed by latitude and cloud cover.
• The location of Ethiopia at close proximity to equator, resulted
for every part of the country to experience overhead sun twice
a year.
• However, in Ethiopia, as it is a highland country, tropical
temperature conditions have no full spatial coverage. They are
limited to the lowlands in the peripheries.
• The high lands form the heart land of the country & its
temperature is determine by altitude.
• In Ethiopia, temperature decreases from low land peripheries
towards the interior highlands.
• Ethiopia experience both hot & cold extreme of temperature.
• The Bale Mountains are among highlands where lowest mean
annual temperatures are recorded. The highest mean maximum
temperature in the country is recorded in the Afar Depression.
Temperature versus Altitude
Altitude (meter) Mean annual Description Local
Temp (c0) Equivalent
3,300 and above 10 or less Cool Wurch
2,300 - 3,300 10 – 15 Temperate Dega
1,500 - 2,300 15 – 20 Temperate Woina Dega
500 - 1,500 20 – 25 Warm Temperate Kola
below 500 25 and above Hot Bereha

Cloud cover is the most important climate control during the

long rainy season (June to September). This period has high
sun but relatively low temperature due to high cloud cover.
March and may are high sun and high temperature due to
absence of cloud.
• Ethiopia’s average daily temperature is more extreme
(higher) than monthly and annual average.
• Ethiopia daily maximum is >370c in north east & south east
lowland & too low (100c - 150c) over the high lands.
• March, April & May are the hottest months of the country.
Conversely, low temperatures are recorded from November
to February.
• Southern part of Ethiopia receives highest records of
temperature in autumn and whereas in the northern part of
the country, summer season is characterized by higher
temperature.
• Southern part of Ethiopia receives highest records of
temperature in autumn and spring following the relative shift
of the sun; whereas in the northern part of the country,
summer season is characterized by higher temperature.
5.3.2. Spatio-temporal Distribution of Rainfall
• The distribution and amount of rain fall received in Ethiopia depends
on seasons and regions.
• Rainfall system in Ethiopia is characterized by complexities.
• Thus, the rainfall system in Ethiopia is characterized by spatial
and temporal variabilities.
• Rainfall in Ethiopia is the result is influenced by the position of
Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).
 ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone): is the zone where
NE and SE trade winds meet or converge which is a low-
pressure zone.
• The inter-annual oscillation of the surface position of the ITCZ
causes a variation in the Wind flow patterns over Ethiopia and
the Horn. Following the position of the overhead sun, the ITCZ
shifts north and south of the equator.
 Seasonal Pattern of Rainfall in Ethiopi
Main seasons of Ethiopia
The following table below shows the temporal distribution of the
main seasons in Ethiopia.
Name of seasons
Months English Amharic Location of the
sun
June, July and August. Summer Keremt Northern
hemisphere
September, October and Autumn Tseday Around the equator
November
December, January and Winter Bega Southern
February hemisphere
March, April and May Spring Belg Around the equator
Seasonal or Temporal Variabilities
i. Summer rain fall (June, July, August)
During summer season:
• The over head sun is north of the equator.
• The low pressure cells (cyclones) are in the north and high pressure
cells (anti cyclones) develop on Atlantic and Indian Oceans around the
tropic of Capricorn .
• ITCZ lies over Northern hemisphere(N and NE of Ethiopia).
• Ethiopia and the Horn come under the influence of the Equatorial
Westerlies (Guinea monsoon) and Easterlies.
• Hence, the Guinea monsoon (south equatorial westerlies) and the
South easterly winds are responsible for the rain in this season.
• Particularly, the (Guina monsoon winds) that originate from South
Atlantic Ocean cause (bring) summer rain fall to Ethiopia b/c they are
moisture-laden.
• However, the amount of rain fall decreases as the winds move north
and NE wards
• The summer rain covers the whole parts of the country except the SE
low lands and NE low lands (Afar regions) due to their rain shadow.
• Particularly, the high land of Ethiopia receives the widest coverage
and longest keremt rains.
• The south easterlywinds from Indian Ocean blow over SE high lands
and associated low lands of Ethiopia during summer.
• However, these winds lose their moisture over the Eastern African
high lands.
• Therefore, SE high lands and associated lowlands of Ethiopia receive
dry winds during summer season.
ii. All year-round rainfall region
 It has many rainy days than any part of the country.
 It is a rainfall region in the southwestern part of the country. The
wetness of this region is particularly due to the prepotency of moist air
currents of equatorial Westerlies called the Guinea Monsoons
iii. Autumn and Spring rainfall regions
• The region comprises areas receiving rain following the
influence of southeasterly winds such as SE lowlands and
adjacent high lands. These regions receive rain during autumn
and spring seasons from southeasterly winds.
iv. Winter rainfall regions
• In winter the ITCZ shifts further south b/c of the over head
sun is occurs south of the equator.
• During this time most of Ethiopian parts come under the
influence of north east trade winds.
• These winds are cold and dry (off shore) and they carry little
or no moisture because of they originate from the Arabian
land mass and make Ethiopia to be a dry season.
• Only the red sea coastal plains including parts of Afar region,
receive little rain from Red sea during winter.
5.4 Agro-ecological Zones of Ethiopia
Based on temperature and altitude, Ethiopia is divided five agro-
ecological zones namely; Bereha, Kolla, Woina Dega, Dega and Wurch.
The Wurch Zone
• Is a type of alpine and afro-alpine climate.
• It is found in small isolated high areas such as senate plateau (Bale),
Ras Dashen, Guna, Megezez in North Shoa, Batu, Choke, Abune
Yoseph etc.
• Its annual rain fall is b/n 800 and 2000mm.
Dega Zone
is long inhabited and has dense human settlement due to reliable rainfall
for agriculture and absence of vector-borne diseases such as malaria.
Weyna Dega Zone
 has warmer temperature and moderate rainfall.
 It is the second largest zone covering more than 26% of the landmass
of Ethiopia.
 The temperature and rainfall of this category is highly suitable for
majority of crops grown in Ethiopia.
 the zone includes most of the agricultural land.
 has also two growing seasons.
Kolla Zone
 It is a warm to hot semi- arid climate.
 South, SE, west and NE part are mainly in this category.
 Rainfall is highly variable from year to year.
Bereha Zone
 It is the hot arid climate of the desert lowlands
 It is characterized by strong wind, high temperature, low humidity and
little cloud cover.
 Evaporation is always exceeding precipitation in some areas of this
region.
 Djibouti, majority of Somalia, and coastal areas of Eritrea are
categorized under Kolla and Bereha zones.
5.5. Climate Change/Global Warming: Causes,
Consequences and Response Mechanisms
• Climate change: is a long term change in statistical
distribution of weather patterns over a period of time. It is a
shift in the average weather that a given region experiences
such as temperature, wind patterns, precipitation and
storms.
5.5.1. Current Trends of Climate in Ethiopia
• Ethiopian climate experiences extremes such as drought,
flood etc. Ethiopia ranked 5th out of 184 countries in terms
of its risk of drought.
• Among the 12, seven of the drought events occurred since
1980 which was resulted in famines.
• The severe drought of 2015-2016 was exacerbated by the
strongest El Nino.
Trends in Temperature Variability
• A rise in average temperature of about 1.3°C has been observed
between 1960 and 2006.
• The rise has spatial and temporal variation. Higher rise in
temperature was noted in drier areas in northeast and southeast
part of the country. Notably the variability is higher in July-
September.
Trends in Rainfall Variability
• Rainfall variability is increasing (and predictability is
decreasing) in many parts of the country.
• In some regions, total average rainfall is showing decline. For
instance, parts of southern, southwestern and south-eastern
regions.
• Changes in temperature and rainfall increase the frequency and
severity of extreme events.
• Major floods have been a common occurrence, leading to loss of
life and property in numerous parts of the country.
• Warming has exacerbated, droughts and desertification in the
lowlands of the country is expanding.
5.5.2. Causes of Climate Change
• The causes of climate change are generally categorized as
anthropogenic/manmade and natural causes.
A. Natural Causes:
 Earth orbital changes
Energy Budget
Continental drift
Ocean current
B. Anthropogenic Cause:
Increasing the amount of green house gases such as
Water vapor, CO2, Methane, Nitrous oxide, CFCs.
Nuclear war
Ozone layer depletion
Urbanization
Acid rain
5.5.3. Consequences of Climate Change
• Climate change has already caused loss of life, damaging
property and affecting livelihoods.
• The impact of climate change is higher in low income
countries.
Some of the consequences of the changing climate include:
 Impacts on human health
 Impact on water resources
 Impact on Agriculture
5.5.4. Climate Response Mechanisms
There are three major response mechanisms to climate change
namely mitigation, adaptation and resilience.
Mitigation and its Strategies
• Mitigation measures are those actions that are taken to reduce
and control greenhouse gas emissions changing the climate.
• There are some mitigation measures that can be taken to
avoid the increase of pollutant emissions.
Practice Energy efficiency
Increase the use of renewable energy such as solar
 Efficient means of transport implementation: electric
public transport, bicycle, shared cars etc.
Adaptation and its Strategies
• Adaptation is simply defined as adapting to life in a
changing climate. It involves adjusting to actual or expected
future climate.
• The goal is to reduce our vulnerability to the harmful effects
of climate change
Some of the major adaptation strategies include:
building flood defenses,
 plan for heatwaves and higher temperatures,
installing water-permeable pavements to better deal with
floods and storm water
improve water storage and use are some of measures
taken by cities and towns.
 landscape restoration and reforestation,
flexible and diverse cultivation to be prepared for natural
catastrophes
preventive and precautionary measures (evacuation
plans, health issues, etc.)