Your trips
Organise your trips easily with tabs
London
Zanzibar
Any date
+ Search
background

Zanzibar in December: Weather, Average temperature and Climate

Take a look at past year’s weather for Zanzibar in December and see if it is worth visiting.
Check flight prices to Zanzibar on Avionero:
December

Weather in Zanzibar in December 2024

OK Weather
Warm
☁️
Cloudy
If you plan to visit Zanzibar in December, the weather is typically alright, with an average high temperature of +29°C during the day and approximately 4 sunny days. Expect some rainy, though, as there are typically 13 rainy days in the month and around 111 mm of precipitation. The weather is changeable so you may have to pack for every eventuality. Search flights in one click on Avionero.
Good to know:
  • December is usually the hottest month of the year in Zanzibar;

Average weather

☀️
+29°C
Avg. max. temperature
+24°C
Min.
+31°C
Max.
111 mm
Total precipitation
80%
Avg. humidity
2 m/s
Avg. wind
4 ☀️
Sunny Days
14 ⛅️
Cloudy
13 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Zanzibar has OK weather in December.

Average temperature in Zanzibar in December

Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in Zanzibar for December based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The temperature in December is +29°C on average, with a range between a maximum of +30°C during the day and a minimum of +25°C at night.

The average maximum temperature goes up 20% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +28°C to +29°C.

Is Zanzibar warm or cold in December?

Zanzibar is typically warm in December.

Maximum temperatures go up compared to the previous month from +28°C to +29°C. The minimum temperature also goes up from +25°C to +26°C.

It’s generally warm, but pack a long-sleeve shirt for evenings.

December is the hottest month in Zanzibar, here is the comparison with other months:

Climate in Zanzibar in December

Zanzibar weather looks like this, on average, in December and the surrounding months.
NovemberDecemberJanuary
Avg. temperature
+28°C+29°C+29°C
Min. temperature
+24°C+24°C+24°C
Max. temperature
+31°C+31°C+32°C
Rainfall
86 mm111 mm52 mm
Wind
2 m/s2 m/s3 m/s
Humidity
81%80%78%
Air pressure
1011 HPa1010 HPa1009 HPa
Sunny days
543
Cloudy days
151423
Rainy days
10135
Snowy days
000

December weather is still as ok as in November. It’s getting warmer as December arrives. The average maximum temperature goes up from +28°C to +29°C during the day. Prepare for more rain. Average rainfall goes from 86 mm to 111 mm. It feels drier, as humidity decreases from 81% to 80%. The average wind speed doesn’t change much during December, staying around 2 m/s. The days becoming less sunny, going from 5 sunny days in November to 4 in December.

January brings much the same weather, it remains ok.

Wind

Wind speed in Zanzibar in December based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data

The average wind speed is 3 m/s getting up to 5 m/s which is a light breeze; barely moving the tree leaves.

The average wind speed in Zanzibar is gradually increasing during December, going from 2 m/s to 3 m/s over the course of the month.

Rain

Amount of rainfall in mm during December in Zanzibar based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Total precipitation in December is about 104 mm, with a 87% chance of rain on a typical day. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 13 mm, which is considered light rain. December is a pretty wet month with over 27 rainy days, so don’t forget to pack an umbrella, raincoat, and a pair of galoshes.
Here’s how December is compared with other months in the amount of precipitation, total mm:
Zanzibar wettest month is April, where a typical day has a 67% chance of precipitation and 189 mm of rainfall per day. September, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 7% chance of precipitation and 27 mm of rainfall per day.

How was the weather last December in Zanzibar?

This is the weather in Zanzibar in December 2023:
1 December
🌧️
+28°C
2 December
☀️
+29°C
3 December
☀️
+29°C
4 December
☀️
+29°C
5 December
☀️
+29°C
6 December
☀️
+30°C
7 December
☀️
+29°C
8 December
☀️
+30°C
9 December
☀️
+30°C
10 December
☀️
+30°C
11 December
☀️
+29°C
12 December
🌧️
+29°C
13 December
🌧️
+29°C
14 December
🌧️
+29°C
15 December
🌧️
+29°C
16 December
☀️
+29°C
17 December
🌧️
+30°C
18 December
🌧️
+30°C
19 December
🌧️
+30°C
20 December
🌧️
+30°C
21 December
🌧️
+30°C
22 December
☁️
+29°C
23 December
🌧️
+29°C
24 December
🌧️
+29°C
25 December
🌧️
+29°C
26 December
🌧️
+29°C
27 December
🌧️
+28°C
28 December
🌧️
+29°C
29 December
🌧️
+29°C
30 December
☀️
+29°C
31 December
☀️
+29°C
In December 2023 Zanzibar had 13 sunny days, 1 cloudy days, and 17 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +29°C, with an absolute maximum of +30°C and a minimum of +28°C. The average humidity was 77%, with a maximum of 94% and a minimum of 52%. The average wind speed was 3 m/s, with a maximum of 11 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in December?

Climate Change over Years

This is how Zanzibar climate have been changing during last 43 years period.

The climate in Zanzibar in December has not changed much over the last 43 years.

The average temperature was the lowest in 1981 (+29°C) and the highest in 2015 (+33°C). The driest year was 1996 with only 26 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 1997 with 243 mm.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about the weather in Zanzibar in December:

Is December a good time to visit Zanzibar?

It’s always a good time to visit Zanzibar, but the weather is changeable in December, so plan a mix of indoor and outdoor activities and exploring, and pack for every eventuality.

Can you sunbathe in Zanzibar in December?

December is warm in Zanzibar. You may enjoy some beach or pool time in the day, but pack something a tad warmer for the evening.

Is Zanzibar rainy in December?

Zanzibar is often rainy in December. You may get a bit damp when outside, so pack an umbrella, and maybe even a raincoat.

Is it sunny in Zanzibar in December?

Usually, it’s not very sunny in Zanzibar in December, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.

Other cities in Tanzania

Check out the weather for other cities in Tanzania.

Monthly weather in Zanzibar

Source of the data

For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Zanzibar, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2022.

For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.