When to go · Hawassa
Hawassa in May
Avoid month. Listed as a month to avoid: Jun–Sep (main rains), and the wet shoulder weeks around Apr–May.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Avoid
- Temperature
- 28°C (82°F)82°F (28°C) / 14°C (57°F)57°F (14°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 12
- Crowds
- Low
- Ethiopia overall
- Prices
- Low
- Ethiopia overall
Verdict
Listed as a month to avoid: Jun–Sep (main rains), and the wet shoulder weeks around Apr–May.
Is another month better than May?
May is rated avoid. These months rate higher:
Weather in May
- HawassaHighs around 28 °C (82 °F), lows around 14 °C (57 °F), rain on about 12 daysHighs around 82 °F (28 °C), lows around 57 °F (14 °C), rain on about 12 days
- Rift Valley lakes, Ethiopia · Ziway, Langano, Hawassa, Arba Minchrainy
Warmer than Addis; two rainy spells in many years (April–May and October).
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 Hawassa, side by side.
Verdict
May: Avoid
Jan: Great (better)
Daytime high
May: 28 °C (82 °F)82 °F (28 °C)
Jan: 29 °C (84 °F)84 °F (29 °C)
Night low
May: 14 °C (57 °F)57 °F (14 °C)
Jan: 11 °C (52 °F)52 °F (11 °C)
Rain days
May: 12
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: Jun–Sep (main rains), and the wet shoulder weeks around Apr–May.
January: Inside Hawassa's best window: Oct–Mar (dry, clear lake views).
Hawassa: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast