# Rain by region in Somalia, 1991 to 2023: the Gu and Deyr in 18 towns > Gu and Deyr rainfall for the main town of each of Somalia's 18 regions, every year from 1991 to 2023, compared with normal, from ERA5 climate data. Source page: https://calankii.com/en/data/rain-by-region-1991-2023/ Last checked: 2026-11-12 Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com) ## Where these numbers come from The figures are from **ERA5**, the climate reanalysis of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, which rebuilds daily rain everywhere on Earth from stations, satellites and a weather model ([ECMWF, ERA5](https://www.ecmwf.int/en/forecasts/dataset/ecmwf-reanalysis-v5)). We downloaded daily ERA5 rain for the main town of each region through the Open-Meteo historical weather service and added up the months of each season ([Open-Meteo, Historical Weather API](https://open-meteo.com/en/docs/historical-weather-api)). "Normal" means the 1991 to 2020 average for that town. Every year for every town is in the data file `somalia-rain-by-region-1991-2023.csv` on this page. **What each figure covers.** Each figure is for one ERA5 grid square of about 25 to 30 km around the town, not the whole region and not a rain gauge. The exact millimetres can differ from what a gauge in the town would record. For the national picture back to 1950, see [the Gu and Deyr rains, 1950 to 2023](/en/data/gu-and-deyr-rains-1950-2023/). ## A normal year, town by town Average rain, 1991 to 2020, in mm (same source): | Region | Town | Gu (Apr–Jun) | Deyr (Oct–Dec) | Whole year | |---|---|---:|---:|---:| | Awdal | Borama | 98 | 42 | 268 | | Woqooyi Galbeed | Hargeisa | 92 | 44 | 208 | | Togdheer | Burao | 71 | 37 | 130 | | Sanaag | Erigavo | 239 | 128 | 456 | | Sool | Las Anod | 90 | 60 | 160 | | Bari | Bosaso | 16 | 31 | 52 | | Nugaal | Garowe | 72 | 48 | 127 | | Mudug | Galkayo | 91 | 77 | 175 | | Galgaduud | Dhusamareb | 100 | 89 | 196 | | Hiiraan | Beledweyne | 113 | 109 | 232 | | Middle Shabelle | Jowhar | 161 | 210 | 418 | | Banadir | Mogadishu | 174 | 134 | 417 | | Lower Shabelle | Marka | 182 | 140 | 430 | | Bay | Baidoa | 164 | 204 | 402 | | Bakool | Xudur | 148 | 169 | 332 | | Gedo | Garbahaarey | 114 | 155 | 290 | | Middle Juba | Bu'aale | 158 | 189 | 398 | | Lower Juba | Kismayo | 196 | 143 | 423 | Three patterns stand out. The **north-west and centre** get much more rain in the Gu than in the [Deyr](/en/economy/pastoralism-in-somalia/). **Bay, [Bakool](/en/regions/bakool/), [Gedo](/en/regions/gedo/), Middle [Juba](/en/economy/farming-and-harvests/) and Middle Shabelle** get more in the Deyr. The **[Bari](/en/regions/bari/) coast** is the driest place in the table, and the [Erigavo](/en/regions/sanaag/) highlands in Sanaag among the wettest; the Erigavo square includes high ground, which catches more rain. ## The driest seasons, region by region Rain as a share of each town's normal (same source): - **Deyr 2010:** between 1 and 27 percent of normal in all 18 towns, and the driest Deyr since 1991 in 15 of them. Famine was declared in parts of the south in July 2011 ([2011 East Africa drought, Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_East_Africa_drought)). - **Deyr 2021:** 34 percent or less in 14 of the 18 towns, and under 10 percent in Garowe, Galkayo and Las Anod. Only the far south did better: [Bu'aale](/en/regions/middle-juba/) and Kismayo had 72 percent, Mogadishu 66 percent. - **Gu 2022:** the driest Gu since 1991 in Hargeisa, [Burao](/en/regions/togdheer/), Erigavo, Las Anod, Garowe, Galkayo and Beledweyne. Las Anod had 3 percent of normal. Near the southern coast it was close to normal (Mogadishu 97 percent, Marka 93 percent). This is the drought the World Meteorological Organization called a run of failed seasons across the Horn of Africa ([WMO, August 2022](https://wmo.int/media/news/greater-horn-of-africa-faces-5th-failed-rainy-season)). - **Deyr 2016:** under half of normal in 13 towns, with Burao, Garowe, Galkayo, Dhusamareb and Las Anod under 20 percent. ## Very wet seasons - **Deyr 1997:** above normal in every town, up to 450 percent in Garbahaarey and 427 percent in Burao. - **Deyr 2019:** above normal in every town, more than three times normal in [Borama](/en/regions/awdal/) and Bosaso. - **Deyr 2023:** above normal in 17 of 18 towns, about three times normal in Galkayo, Dhusamareb and Garbahaarey, straight after the drought. Only Erigavo (44 percent) was dry. ## How to use this Compare a town with its own normal, not with other towns: 50 mm is a normal Deyr in Bosaso but a failed one in Baidoa. For forecasts and current conditions by district, see FEWS NET and FAO's [SWALIM](/en/institutions/fao-somalia/) and FSNAU units ([FEWS NET, Somalia](https://fews.net/east-africa/somalia); [FAO SWALIM](https://www.faoswalim.org/)). ## Related - [The Gu and Deyr rains, 1950 to 2023](/en/data/gu-and-deyr-rains-1950-2023/) - [Rainfall and temperature in Somalia since 1901](/en/data/rainfall-and-temperature-1901-2023/) - [Rain, drought and floods](/en/society/rain-drought-and-floods/) --- I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.