Summer months (April to August) can be hot with temperatures reaching up to 40°C (100°F) on the western plateau. Although temperatures rarely drop below 18°C (64°F) along the coast, winters in the central and western plateau regions (December to February) can be freezing with dramatic temperature differences between day and night. The short rainy season is usually between March to April and a longer one from late June to the beginning of September.

Lightweight and mediumweight clothing is recommended but warm clothes may be needed because the temperature drops at night. An umbrella and a raincoat are recommended during the rainy season.

Eritrea stretches along the Red Sea for almost 1,000km (625 miles). To the south and west it borders Ethiopia, to the southeast Djibouti and to the northwest Sudan. The low-lying coastal area is very humid. The mountainous interior is largely cultivated.