Eritrea’s government -run newspaper Hadas Eritrea reports that Asmara came to a standstill in March following a 90 minute hail storm which dumped over a metre of ice on the streets of the capital.
Hail is not unknown in Eritrea at this time of year, known locally as the ‘belg’ or little rains. The long rains usually arrive between June and September but this amount of hail is unusual at any time of year with the ferocity of this storm taking residents by surprise. It was the heaviest rain ever recorded in the capital and left vehicles buried in hail and the streets running with water, according to reports. The average recorded rainfall in Asmara, Eritrea in the Horn of Africa, is 61cm.
