The map below is the average temperature as derived from CRU data for the years 2000 – 2013 together with observed temperature data for selected stations within the basin. Generally, there is a wide variation in temperature across the basin with the equatorial lakes region and the Ethiopian highlands receiving maximum temperatures of up to 30oC and the main Nile, parts of the Blue Nile, Tekeze Atbara and the White Nile in Sudan receiving maximum temperatures of up to 45oC. The most downstream part of the basin, close to the sea also received relatively low temperatures compared to the other parts of the main Nile, with maximums of about 38oC.
As with rainfall, temperature exhibits temporal and spatial differences over the basin. There are larger variations in temperature in the arid regions of northern Sudan and most of Egypt, with smaller deviations around the equator (Mohammed 2006).