Ethiopia has five climatic zones, defined by altitude and temperature.

The hot, arid zone: covers the desert lowlands below 500 m, where average annual rainfall is less than 400 mm and average annual temperatures range between 28°C and 34°C or higher. The warm to hot, semi-arid zone: includes those areas with an altitude of 500–1,500 m, average annual rainfall generally of around 600 mm (but as high as 1,600 mm in the western lowlands of Gambella), and an average annual temperature range of 20–28°C.

The warm to cool, semi-humid zone: covers the temperate highlands between 1,500 and 2,500 m. Average annual temperatures vary between 16°C and 20°C, and annual rainfall is generally around 1,200 mm, reaching 2,400 mm in the south-west.
The cool to cold humid zone: includes the temperate highlands between 2,500 and 3,200 m, where average temperatures range between 10°C and 16°C, with an annual rainfall of c.1,000 mm and up to 2,000 mm in higher areas.

The cold, moist temperate zone: covers the Afro-alpine areas on the highest plateaus between 3,200 and 3,500 m; average temperatures are below 10°C and annual rainfall averages less than 800 mm.