When to go · Dire Dawa
Dire Dawa in May
Avoid month. Listed as a month to avoid: Apr–Sep (rainy, hotter).
Key facts
- Verdict
- Avoid
- Temperature
- 38°C (100°F)100°F (38°C) / 22°C (72°F)72°F (22°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 3
- Crowds
- Low
- Ethiopia overall
- Prices
- Low
- Ethiopia overall
Verdict
Listed as a month to avoid: Apr–Sep (rainy, hotter).
Is another month better than May?
May is rated avoid. These months rate higher:
Weather in May
- Dire DawaHighs around 38 °C (100 °F), lows around 22 °C (72 °F), rain on about 3 daysHighs around 100 °F (38 °C), lows around 72 °F (22 °C), rain on about 3 days
- Eastern escarpment, Ethiopia · Harar, Dire Dawa, Jijigahot
Harar is mild at about 1,900 m; Dire Dawa below it is hot from May to September.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Siklet and Fasika (Good Friday and Orthodox Easter) big impact
Apr–May (moves yearly — check; 2 May in 2027) · Ethiopia
End of the 55-day fast; offices close, domestic flights busy.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Ethiopia overall
- Low
- Prices · Ethiopia overall
- Low
Ethiopia overall: Hot in the lowlands, rain in the Omo; quiet and cheap in the highlands.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Dire Dawa, side by side.
Verdict
May: Avoid
Jan: Great (better)
Daytime high
May: 38 °C (100 °F)100 °F (38 °C)
Jan: 30 °C (86 °F)86 °F (30 °C)
Night low
May: 22 °C (72 °F)72 °F (22 °C)
Jan: 15 °C (59 °F)59 °F (15 °C)
Rain days
May: 3
Jan: 2 (better)
Crowds
May: Low
Jan: High
Prices
May: Low
Jan: High
Festivals listed
May: 1
Jan: 1
May: Listed as a month to avoid: Apr–Sep (rainy, hotter).
January: Inside Dire Dawa's best window: Oct–Mar (dry, cooler).
Dire Dawa: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and sunscreen