=========+===========+============+===========+=====+===========+===== Month | Mean | Mean | Mean |Rela-| Rainfall | Num- |Temperature| Maximum | Minimum | tive| | ber | | Temperature|Temperature| Hu- | | of +----+------+-----+------+----+------+midi-+----+------+Rainy | F. | ~C.~ | F. | ~C.~ | F. | ~C.~ | ty |Ins.| ~Mm.~| Days | | | | | | | % | | | ---------+----+------+-----+------+----+------+-----+----+------+----- January |78·0|~25·6~| 90·4|~32·4~|68·0|~20·0~| 75 |2·05|~52·1~| 5·2 February |78·9|~26·0~| 92·2|~33·4~|68·4|~20·2~| 76 |0·63|~16·2~| 1·6 March |81·0|~27·2~| 94·8|~34·9~|70·1|~21·2~| 74 |0·68|~17·5~| 1·7 April |84·3|~29·0~| 98·2|~36·8~|72·8|~22·6~| 69 |0·11| ~2·5~| ·2 May |88·5|~31·3~|101·7|~38·7~|76·6|~24·7~| 66 |0·56|~14·1~| 1·4 June |92·4|~33·5~|105·9|~41·0~|80·7|~27·0~| 51 | -- | -- | -- July |94·7|~34·8~|108·5|~42·5~|84·5|~29·2~| 56 |0·13| ~3·3~| 1·3 August |94·6|~34·7~|106·7|~41·5~|83·4|~28·5~| 57 |0·26| ~5·7~| 1·7 September|92·0|~33·3~|103·0|~39·4~|78·2|~25·7~| 60 |0·17| ~4·0~| 1·0 October |89·0|~31·7~| 98·7|~37·0~|77·2|~25·1~| 60 |0·35| ~9·0~| 1·0 November |84·3|~29·0~| 95·2|~35·1~|75·0|~23·8~| 65 |0·78|~20·0~| 2·1 December |80·7|~27·0~| 92·0|~33·3~|69·5|~20·8~| 70 |2·27|~57·6~| 3·7 =========+====+======+=====+======+====+======+=====+====+======+===== The total rainfall amounts only to 7·86 ins. (198 mm.), falling on 29·2 days in the year, but the amount and distribution is very capricious, varying greatly in different years. In so far, however, as Massawa can be said to possess a rainy season at all, the wet weather comes in the winter, instead of about August, as is normally the case in the Tropics of the Northern Hemisphere. Sometimes a whole year may be practically rainless, as for example 1885, in which only 41·2 mm. (about 1¹⁄₂ ins.) was collected, whereas 1891 had the respectable rainfall of 500 mm. (or 19¹⁄₂ ins.). Apparently, however, it never rains in June. Owing to the antiseptic powers of the intense light and heat, the place is singularly free from zymotic diseases, the cases of fever being usually not malarial, but truly climatic. For the greater part of the year the skin is kept in a continuous bath of perspiration, and accordingly prickly heat in its most acute form, with the usual sequel of boils, is very common; as also, of course, are heatstroke and less acute forms of nervous prostration. During the continuance of the Kamsin Dr. Petella finds that the temperature of even strong and healthy individuals is raised distinctly above the normal. The extreme character of the climate of Suakim, the frequent scene of British military activity, may be gathered from the following nearly complete table for portions of the years 1902-1903. SUAKIM. LAT. 19° 5′ N. NEAR SEA-LEVEL.