Somalia Weather Radar

Somalia occupies the Horn of Africa and has the longest coastline on the African mainland, stretching over 3,000 kilometers along the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. The climate is predominantly hot and arid, classified as tropical and subtropical desert across most of the country. Somalia experiences four seasons: the Gu (long rains) from April to June, the Hagaa (dry season) from July to September, the Deyr (short rains) from October to November, and the Jilal (harsh dry season) from December to March.

The Gu rains are the most important for agriculture and pastoral communities, but their reliability has decreased in recent decades, contributing to recurring droughts and humanitarian crises. The northern coast along the Gulf of Aden receives minimal rainfall and is extremely hot, while the area between the Jubba and Shabelle rivers in the south is the country's most fertile region. Tropical cyclones from the Indian Ocean occasionally bring rare but devastating rainfall to the eastern coast, causing flash floods in arid terrain unprepared for heavy water flow.

Mogadishu on the southern coast has a hot, semi-arid climate with temperatures averaging 27°C year-round and relatively modest rainfall of about 430mm, mostly during the two rainy seasons. Hargeisa in the northwest highlands is cooler and more pleasant at 1,300 meters elevation, with temperatures around 24°C. Berbera on the Gulf of Aden coast is one of the hottest cities in Africa, with summer temperatures regularly exceeding 45°C. The Cal Madow mountain range in the northeast receives the most rainfall in the country and supports pockets of evergreen forest.