Aloes and Lilies of Ethiopia and Eritrea

12 ALOES AND LILIES OF ETHIOPIA
Fig.2. Major
rainfall patterns
in Ethiopia.
Abbreviations used:
C
D
B
A bimodal rainfall: February-May/June-September; B unimodal rainfall; C bimodal rainfall:
September-November/March-May; D scanty rainfall but November-February rainfall maximum.
A
This is influenced by both the wind systems coming from
the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. The length of
the wet season decreases northwards. The south­western
highlands receive the highest mean annual rainfall in the
country reaching over 2700 mm.
The southern and south­eastern parts of the country receive
a distinctly bimodal rainfall with the first peak between
September and November and the second between March
and May. There is a distinct dry spell between the two
peaks. This rainfall pattern is mainly influenced by the
monsoon winds from the Indian Ocean.
Parts of the Afar and coastal parts of Eritrea characterized
by scanty rainfall between November and February.
Much of the highland in Eritrea follows the same
rainfall pattern as in northern Ethiopia. However, in
the coastal parts of Eritrea the rainfall is scanty, but
with a pronounced winter­rain between November and
February. In Eritrea, three geographic regions can be
recognized that experience varied amount of rainfall; the
first one is a narrow eastern lowland desert strip along the
D
C