Editing Asmara (section)

==Geography==
The city lies at an elevation of {{convert|2325|m|ft|abbr=off}} [[above sea level]]. It lies on north–south trending highlands known as the [[Eritrean Highlands]], an extension of the [[Ethiopian Highlands]]. The temperate central portion, where Asmara lies, is situated on a rocky highland plateau, which separates the western lowlands from the eastern coastal plains. The lands that surround Asmara are very fertile, especially those to the south towards the [[Debub Region]] of Eritrea. The highlands that Asmera is located in fall away to reveal the eastern lowlands, characterized by the searing heat and humidity of the Eritrean salt pans, lapped by the Red Sea. To the west of the plateau stretches a vast semi-arid hilly terrain continuing all the way towards the border with [[Sudan]] through the [[Gash-Barka Region]].

===Climate===
[[File:Asmara panorama, Eritrea.jpg|thumb|A view over Asmara]]
[[File:Solar traffic light Asmara, Eritrea.jpg|thumb|upright|Solar traffic lights in a street in Asmara]]
Asmara has a [[semi-arid climate|cool semi-arid climate]] (''BSk'') according to the [[Köppen climate classification]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.besttimetovisit.co.uk/eritrea/asmara-1220041/ |title=Climate Asmara – Temperature • Best time to visit • Weather |publisher=Besttimetovisit.co.uk |access-date=2020-06-08}}</ref>
It has year-round moderately warm weather, with recorded temperatures ranging between a minimum of {{convert|&minus;4.5|°C|1|disp=or}} and a maximum of {{convert|31.0|°C|1|disp=or}}. It has an average humidity of 51% and an UV-index of 6. [[Holdridge life zones|Holdridge life zones system of bioclimatic classification]] put Asmara in or near the subtropical thorn woodland biome.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/eritrea/asmara-climate | title=Yearly & Monthly weather - Asmara, Eritrea }}</ref> Rainfall patterns differ from month to month with highest precipitation in July and August, and lower precipitation in other months.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.climate.top/eritrea/asmara/|title=Asmara Climate Asmara Temperatures Asmara, Eritrea Weather Averages|website=www.climate.top|accessdate=16 February 2024}}</ref>

Asmara has warm, but not hot summers and mild winters.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Semere|first1=Soloman|title=Groundwater study using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) in the central highlands of Eritrea|journal=Hydrogeology Journal|date=23 December 2005|volume=14|issue=5|pages=729–741|doi=10.1007/s10040-005-0477-y|s2cid=55130364}}</ref> Due to its {{convert|2325|m|ft|adj=on}} altitude, temperatures are relatively mild for a city located not particularly far from the hotter surroundings in the country. This climate is characteristic of rainy, wet seasons and dry seasons.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite journal|date=23 December 2005|title=Groundwater study using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) in the central highlands of Eritrea|journal=Hydrogeology Journal|volume=14|issue=5|pages=729–741|doi=10.1007/s10040-005-0477-y|last1=Semere|first1=Soloman|s2cid=55130364}}</ref> Asmara averages about {{cvt|518|mm|in}} of precipitation annually. [[Frost]], however, is extremely rare in the city. The long dry season of the year extends from September until around April, and a season of occasional showers occurs from April to June.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> On average, about 60% of Asmara's annual precipitation is experienced during the months of July and August. In contrast, December to February are typically Asmara's driest months, where on average only {{cvt|9.1|mm|in}} of precipitation falls in the three months combined. Due to variable rainfall, Asmara's climate is also characterized by drought.<ref name="7 September 2015">{{cite journal|date=7 September 2015|title=Extracting and analyzing forest and woodland cover change in Eritrea based on Landsat data using supervised classification|journal=The Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Science|volume=19|issue=1|pages=37–47|doi=10.1016/j.ejrs.2015.09.002|last1=Ghebrezgabher|first1=Mihretab|doi-access=free}}</ref> Several prolonged droughts in this region have occurred beginning in the 1960s and have recurred each decade since then.<ref name="7 September 2015"/> During periods of drought, temperatures are high and little rainfall occurs. As temperatures in a region increase, the rate of evaporation of water from the soil also increases. These combined processes result in the [[desertification]] of the soil. In order to obtain nutrient rich and moist soil for farming purposes, populations rely on deforestation to make use of the underlying ground.<ref name="7 September 2015"/> The most serious environmental issues Asmara faces are deforestation and desertification. Other issues Asmara faces are soil erosion and [[overgrazing]]. All of these environmental issues produce [[soil degradation]].<ref name="7 September 2015"/>

{{Weather box
|location = Asmara, Eritrea (1961–1990 normals, extremes 1903–2012)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 29.0
|Feb record high C = 29.2
|Mar record high C = 30.5
|Apr record high C = 31.0
|May record high C = 30.0
|Jun record high C = 29.4
|Jul record high C = 29.4
|Aug record high C = 27.4
|Sep record high C = 27.2
|Oct record high C = 31.0
|Nov record high C = 26.7
|Dec record high C = 26.2
|year record high C =31.0
|Jan high C = 22.3
|Feb high C = 23.8
|Mar high C = 25.1
|Apr high C = 25.1
|May high C = 25.0
|Jun high C = 24.9
|Jul high C = 21.6
|Aug high C = 21.5
|Sep high C = 22.9
|Oct high C = 21.7
|Nov high C = 21.5
|Dec high C = 21.5
|year high C = 23.1
|Jan mean C = 13.8
|Feb mean C = 14.9
|Mar mean C = 16.3
|Apr mean C = 17.0
|May mean C = 17.6
|Jun mean C = 17.6
|Jul mean C = 16.3
|Aug mean C = 16.1
|Sep mean C = 15.7
|Oct mean C = 14.9
|Nov mean C = 14.0
|Dec mean C = 13.2
|year mean C = 15.6
|Jan low C = 4.3
|Feb low C = 5.1
|Mar low C = 7.5
|Apr low C = 8.7
|May low C = 10.2
|Jun low C = 10.5
|Jul low C = 10.8
|Aug low C = 10.7
|Sep low C = 8.6
|Oct low C = 8.1
|Nov low C = 6.6
|Dec low C = 4.8
|year low C = 8.0
|Jan record low C = -4.5
|Feb record low C = -1.6
|Mar record low C = -0.8
|Apr record low C = -0.2
|May record low C = 2.0
|Jun record low C = 3.4
|Jul record low C = 3.9
|Aug record low C = 3.7
|Sep record low C = 0.2
|Oct record low C = 1.0
|Nov record low C = -0.5
|Dec record low C = -1.4
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 3.7
|Feb precipitation mm = 2.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 14.6
|Apr precipitation mm = 33.4
|May precipitation mm = 41.1
|Jun precipitation mm = 38.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 174.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 155.6
|Sep precipitation mm = 15.6
|Oct precipitation mm = 15.4
|Nov precipitation mm = 20.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 3.4
|unit rain days = 1.0 mm
|Jan rain days = 0
|Feb rain days = 0
|Mar rain days = 2
|Apr rain days = 4
|May rain days = 5
|Jun rain days = 4
|Jul rain days = 13
|Aug rain days = 12
|Sep rain days = 2
|Oct rain days = 2
|Nov rain days = 2
|Dec rain days = 1
|Jan humidity = 54
|Feb humidity = 48
|Mar humidity = 46
|Apr humidity = 49
|May humidity = 48
|Jun humidity = 48
|Jul humidity = 76
|Aug humidity = 80
|Sep humidity = 59
|Oct humidity = 63
|Nov humidity = 66
|Dec humidity = 61
|year humidity = 58.2
|Jan sun = 291.4
|Feb sun = 260.4
|Mar sun = 275.9
|Apr sun = 264.0
|May sun = 257.3
|Jun sun = 219.0
|Jul sun = 151.9
|Aug sun = 158.1
|Sep sun = 213.0
|Oct sun = 272.8
|Nov sun = 276.0
|Dec sun = 282.1
|year sun = 2921.9
|Jan percentsun = 84
|Feb percentsun = 81
|Mar percentsun = 75
|Apr percentsun = 71
|May percentsun = 65
|Jun percentsun = 57
|Jul percentsun = 38
|Aug percentsun = 41
|Sep percentsun = 59
|Oct percentsun = 76
|Nov percentsun = 82
|Dec percentsun = 82
|year percentsun = 67
|source 1 = NOAA<ref name= NOAA>{{cite web
|url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/E1/63021.TXT
|title = Asmara Climate Normals 1961–1990
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|access-date = 13 January 2015}}</ref>
|source 2 = Meteo Climat (extremes)<ref name = meteoclimat>
{{cite web 
|url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=1834
|title = Station Asmara
|publisher = Meteo Climat 
|language = fr 
|access-date = 22 October 2016}}</ref>
|date=January 2012
}}