Despite its proximity to the Equator, Ethiopia’s high altitude ensures a temperate, moderate, even chilly climate certainly not tropical. There are two rainy seasons; the irregular short rains from late January to early March, and the long rains from June until mid-September.

Ethiopia is three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Time remains constant throughout the year. The Ethiopian day is calculated in a maner similar to many equatorial countries, where day and night are always the same length counting starts at Western 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Western 7:00 a.m. is therefore one o’clock noon is six 6:00 p.m. is twelve o’clock midnight, and so on.