Unique landscapes
Despite the hot and arid climate, Djibouti has an amazing diversity of landscapes: lakes (Assal and Abbe), green mountains (Goda and Mabla), desert or semi-desert areas (Gagade and Grand Bara), white sand beaches, mangroves, volcanic landscapes and one of the last primary forests of the African continent (Day forest).
Two seasons
The mildest season is from November to April, with an average temperature of 25°C. Occasionally, it can rain, thanks to the east winds that bring some clouds. This season is simply ideal. The hottest season is from May to September. The average temperature is 35°C, but it frequently reaches (and sometimes exceeds) 45°C in the shade. Two dry, hot winds blow in July and August: the khamsin (from the northwest) and the sabo (from the southwest). Thunderstorms (rare and often at night) can also occur. In the transition period, May and September, it does not rain, but the humidity is as bad as the temperatures: at least 60% day and night. The humidity can even reach 100%. One of the hottest spots in the country is undoubtedly the Lake Assal depression, where temperatures can exceed 50°C. The highest areas such as Day, Mablas, Arta are appreciated during the hot weather for the relative coolness that reigns there.
Rarely does it rain
On average, 160 mm of rain falls per year, a pittance. But the rainfall pattern varies enormously from year to year. It can rain heavily (but over an extremely short period of time) in the course of a year: sudden storms, wadis filling up, the landscape turning green... The Goda and Mabla mountains are the most likely to receive these rains. But the humidity and the freshness of these places are in fact rather the consequence of the fogs which form there. It may also not rain (or very little) for several years in some parts of the territory. This has been the case in recent years throughout eastern Africa. Rainfall, even if scarce and weak, is essential for the survival of many species, which have adapted to make the most of the few drops they do get.
Warm and crystal clear waters
The temperature of the waters of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean that meet off Djibouti, sometimes with a bang, never drops below 26°C. As the air temperature is also very high, evaporation is important, which leads to a very high salinity. These waters are characterized by an extraordinary clarity. Indeed, no river comes to throw itself there and bring silt. The warm and salty water allows the development of a very rich fauna and flora. In the Gulf of Tadjourah, which is warmer and saltier, a particular fauna lives, in particular species of corals which have adapted to these extreme conditions, which normally would not suit them.
