| Suakim. Lat. 19° 5′ N. Near Sea-level. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Absolute Maximum Temperature | Absolute Minimum Temperature | Rainfall | Clouds | Relative Humidity | Wind | |||
| F. | C. | F. | C. | Ins. | Mm. | ||||
| Jan. | 78·5 | 25·8 | 68·4 | 20·2 | 1·17 | 29·7 | 4·5 | 71 | N.N.W., occasionally N. and E. in afternoon |
| Feb. | 79·0 | 26·7 | 70·4 | 21·3 | 0·68 | 17·0 | 4·8 | 78 | N.W., shifting to N.E. or N. |
| Mar. | 82·5 | 28·1 | 71·9 | 22·1 | 0 | 0 | 2·1 | 90 | Ditto, ditto |
| April | Wanting | ||||||||
| May | 95·0 | 35·0 | 76·1 | 24·5 | 0 | 0 | 0·5 | 78 | Ditto, ditto |
| June | 100·2 | 37·9 | 78·0 | 25·6 | 0·13 | 3·0 | 1·2 | 69 | Variable, but generally N.E. in afternoon |
| July | 107·8 | 42·1 | 82·0 | 27·8 | 0·36 | 9·3 | 1·5 | 48 | S.W. to S., shifting to E. or N.E. in afternoon |
| Aug. | 112·0 | 44·4 | 84·4 | 29·1 | 0 | 0 | 1·3 | 68 | Ditto, ditto |
| Sept. | Wanting | ||||||||
| Oct. | 92·0 | 33·3 | 78·0 | 25·6 | 4·80 | 122·0 | 3·5 | 75 | N.W. to W., shifting to N.E. in afternoon |
| Nov. | 86·5 | 30·3 | 75·9 | 24·3 | 6·10 | 154·9 | 5·6 | 78 | Ditto, ditto |
| Dec. | 81·0 | 27·2 | 69·5 | 20·8 | 2·02 | 51·5 | 4·5 | 78 | Ditto, ditto |
No European constitution could, however, endure such climates for any considerable time with impunity without periods of relief in a more moderate climate, and it is therefore fortunate that, owing to configuration of the Colony of Erythrea, the inland portion of which for the most part consists of elevated plateaux and mountains; these extreme conditions of heat and moisture are limited to a comparatively narrow belt of country, consisting of plains formed of slightly elevated coral formation, and the foothills which gradually rise to elevations at which the climate is necessarily temperate, some of the peaks reaching over 7,000 feet above the sea.
The progressive improvement of climate as one gains increasing elevations, even where that at the sea-level is of the most extreme character, is instructively shown in the [table] on next page, taken from Dr. Petella’s pamphlet.
| Table showing the Mean Monthly Temperature of Four Stations inErythrea at Various Elevations, the diminution of temperaturebeing equivalent to about 1° F. for every 300 Feet of Elevation,or 1° C. to each 150 Metres. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Massawa, 6 m. elevation = 18 ft. | Ghenda, 962 m. elevation = 3,165 ft. | Cheren, 1,460 m. elevation = 4,790 ft. | Asmara, 2,327 m. elevation = 7,533 ft. | ||||
| F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | |
| January | 78·0 | 25·6 | 65·2 | 18·4 | 63·3 | 17·3 | 68·8 | 14·9 |
| February | 78·9 | 26·0 | 69·4 | 20·8 | 67·0 | 19·4 | 61·4 | 16·3 |
| March | 79·4 | 26·3 | 73·3 | 22·9 | 72·0 | 22·2 | 61·5 | 16·4 |
| April | 84·3 | 29·0 | 78·6 | 25·8 | 77·0 | 24·9 | 62·8 | 17·1 |
| May | 88·5 | 31·3 | 79·6 | 26·3 | 75·8 | 24·3 | 63·5 | 17·5 |
| June | 92·4 | 33·3 | 84·1 | 28·9 | 76·5 | 24·7 | 63·5 | 17·5 |
| July | 94·7 | 34·8 | 87·2 | 30·7 | 72·7 | 22·6 | 61·5 | 16·4 |
| August | 94·5 | 34·7 | 83·4 | 28·5 | 68·0 | 20·0 | 61·4 | 16·3 |
| September | 92·9 | 33·8 | 84·5 | 29·2 | 68·4 | 20·2 | 62·5 | 16·9 |
| October | 89·2 | 31·8 | 76·8 | 24·9 | 67·4 | 19·6 | 56·5 | 13·6 |
| November | 84·3 | 29·0 | 72·3 | 22·4 | 65·2 | 18·4 | 58·4 | 14·6 |
| December | 80·7 | 27·0 | 65·8 | 18·7 | 63·3 | 17·3 | 58·8 | 14·9 |
| Annual Means | 86·5 | 30·3 | 76·7 | 24·8 | 69·7 | 20·9 | 60·0 | 16·5 |
In these elevated regions, a little away from the coast, there is a definite, though not very abundant, rainy season, and the direction of the prevailing winds is normal for these latitudes, i.e., north-east during the winter and south-west during the monsoon, which, however, breaks a good deal later here than at corresponding latitudes on the eastern side of the Arabian sea. More complete data of Addi Ugri, an Italian sanatorium on one of these Erythrean hill-stations, are extracted [below] from a pamphlet by Captain Tancredi, an Engineer officer.
The hottest time of the year is, it will be noticed, in the spring, and the rainy season takes place at the normal time in July and August, after the setting in of the south-west monsoon. There is also a secondary period of rainfall about February and March, corresponding to our “chota bursat” in India.
From the inspection of the table on [next page] it will be seen that the climate must be an exceptionally pleasant one, the mean temperature of the year corresponding to that of Southern Italy, though the range of temperature is less than a third of that of Palermo and other Mediterranean ports. The climate is also said to be very healthy, though there is generally a certain amount of malaria to be met with about the drying up of the rains. Its uniformity and mildness, coupled as it is with great dryness, suggests that the site might well be utilised for certain forms of chest disease.
| Climate of Addi-Ugri, Erythrea (Serahè). Lat. 14° 53′ N.;Long. 38° 48′ 40″ E. Elevation 6,633 Feet. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Mean Temperature | Mean Maximum Temperature | Mean Minimum Temperature | Relative Humidity | Rainfall | Number of Rainy Days | ||||
| F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | Ins. | Mm. | |||
| January | 64·9 | 18·2 | 79·0 | 26·0 | 51·6 | 10·9 | 39·6 | 0·02 | 0·3 | 2 |
| February | 66·3 | 19·0 | 81·2 | 27·4 | 51·9 | 11·0 | 28·6 | 0·11 | 2·7 | 1·6 |
| March | 70·6 | 21·4 | 87·0 | 30·6 | 55·5 | 13·1 | 30·0 | 0·62 | 15·4 | 6·6 |
| April | 70·4 | 21·3 | 85·5 | 29·7 | 56·5 | 13·6 | 35·3 | 0·91 | 22·8 | 9·3 |
| May | 70·6 | 21·4 | 84·5 | 29·1 | 58·2 | 14·5 | 36·6 | 1·85 | 46·2 | 10·3 |
| June | 69·5 | 20·8 | 82·3 | 27·9 | 60·4 | 15·7 | 39·1 | 2·41 | 60·6 | 15·3 |
| July | 64·3 | 17·9 | 73·6 | 23·2 | 54·6 | 12·6 | 71·9 | 5·30 | 134·9 | 25·0 |
| August | 63·8 | 17·6 | 73·4 | 22·9 | 54·6 | 12·5 | 74·1 | 7·05 | 179·1 | 24·3 |
| September | 67·5 | 19·7 | 78·6 | 25·9 | 56·2 | 13·3 | 53·4 | 1·45 | 36·8 | 6·6 |
| October | 67·6 | 19·7 | 80·3 | 26·8 | 54·4 | 12·4 | 53·0 | 0·65 | 16·5 | 3 |
| November | 65·4 | 18·5 | 78·6 | 25·8 | 52·5 | 11·3 | 43·6 | 0·19 | 4·2 | 1·6 |
| December | 63·5 | 17·4 | 78·0 | 25·5 | 50·0 | 9·9 | 42·3 | 0·32 | 8·3 | 1·6 |
| Year | 66·9 | 19·4 | 80·2 | 26·8 | 54·7 | 12·6 | 45·6 | 20·2 | 513·0 | 107·2 |
Travelling, however, in Somaliland is necessarily arduous, as the country is nearly impassable during the short rainy season, and intense heat and great suffering have to be encountered in the low-lying valleys, owing to the waterless character of the country and the intensely desiccating effects of the air, which, elsewhere than on the coast, is intensely dry. The frequent dust storms are also a source of much discomfort and even of danger.
Once issued from the Red Sea and arrived in the Gulf of Aden, things begin to improve, as although the thermometer may show but little difference from the conditions left behind in the Red Sea, it is at once felt that the heat is of quite a different kind, and that it is not, as Gilbert’s heroine would describe it, “such a stuffy class of death.” There is nearly always a fresh sea breeze, and for several months of the year the climate is much less oppressive than that of Bombay, especially in the spring. Strange as it may appear to those who have only seen the grim fortress from the sea, Aden seems to have a queer fascination about it, and is generally rather liked than otherwise, many preferring to serve there to remaining in Bombay.