<p>Addis Ababa lies 9 degrees north of the equator at about 2300 metres in altitude. Its' mean annual rainfall is about 1090 mm, with an average daily  probability of rain of about 41%. The inter-tropical convergence zone in this part of East Africa is a little anomalous, but sufficient to bring long rains in July-August, and short rains in March-April. Given the altitude, latitude and synoptic climatology, there is nothing unusual about this rainfall, though as Kwinkunks points out, if you happen to hit an unusually wet 'long rainy season' it might <em>seem</em> unusually wet.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-29T01:48:58.760Z
Ethiopians don't think of themselves as 'Central Africans', and the horn of Africa is a very different climatic regime to that of the rest of Central Africa. If the question is posed in the regional sense (not including Addis) then the rainfall is much higher, consistent, more frequent, and typical of tropical rain-forest worldwide, as in the Congo and Amazon rain -forests.
Gordon Stanger
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-27T11:07:01.330Z
2015-10-27T11:07:01.330Z
Gordon Stanger
<p>I watch the news and in the weather forecast it's always rainy in central Africa, especially in Addis Ababa. Why is that?  </p>

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2015-10-27T18:21:53.827Z
@Alex thats a pretty bold statement - would you be able to provide the historical records showing that it is always raining in Addis Ababa?
Isopycnal Oscillation
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-29T13:54:26.533Z
Over what sort of timescale are you looking? It could just be their wet season right now.
mtb-za
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2015-08-29T14:55:56.050Z
No you check urself. its always wet no matter what
user786
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-29T15:12:50.060Z
Looking at it, the climate seems to be fairly consistent, as a combination of elevation and other things. There are also frequent thunderstorms, which might not last long, but will add to the amount of rainy days.
mtb-za
<meteorology><weather-forecasting>
Why is it always rainy in Addis Ababa?
user786
# Why is it always rainy in Addis Ababa?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-08-28)

I watch the news and in the weather forecast it's always rainy in central Africa, especially in Addis Ababa. Why is that?

**Tags:** meteorology, weather-forecasting

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Over what sort of timescale are you looking? It could just be their wet season right now.  
> **username_0**: No you check urself. its always wet no matter what  
> **username_2**: Looking at it, the climate seems to be fairly consistent, as a combination of elevation and other things. There are also frequent thunderstorms, which might not last long, but will add to the amount of rainy days.  
> **username_1**: @Alex thats a pretty bold statement - would you be able to provide the historical records showing that it is always raining in Addis Ababa?  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-10-27. Score: 4

Addis Ababa lies 9 degrees north of the equator at about 2300 metres in altitude. Its' mean annual rainfall is about 1090 mm, with an average daily probability of rain of about 41%. The inter-tropical convergence zone in this part of East Africa is a little anomalous, but sufficient to bring long rains in July-August, and short rains in March-April. Given the altitude, latitude and synoptic climatology, there is nothing unusual about this rainfall, though as Kwinkunks points out, if you happen to hit an unusually wet 'long rainy season' it might *seem* unusually wet.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Ethiopians don't think of themselves as 'Central Africans', and the horn of Africa is a very different climatic regime to that of the rest of Central Africa. If the question is posed in the regional sense (not including Addis) then the rainfall is much higher, consistent, more frequent, and typical of tropical rain-forest worldwide, as in the Congo and Amazon rain -forests.  

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