Weather in Zanzibar in May 2025
Average weather
Average temperature in Zanzibar in May
The temperature in May is +28°C on average, with a range between a maximum of +30°C during the day and a minimum of +24°C at night.
The average maximum temperature goes up 0% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +27°C to +27°C.
Is Zanzibar warm or cold in May?
Zanzibar is typically warm in May.
Maximum temperatures go up compared to the previous month from +28°C to +28°C. The minimum temperature also goes up from +25°C to +25°C.
It’s generally warm, but pack a long-sleeve shirt for evenings.
Take a look at how May is compared to other months in Zanzibar:
Water temperature in Zanzibar in May
Water in Zanzibar in May is Very warm. It varies from +28°C to +29°C, with an average of +28°C. Note that the air temperature is lower than the water temperature, averaging around +28°C.
In May, water temperatures are average relative to the rest of the year:
Can you swim in Zanzibar in May?
Climate in Zanzibar in May
| April | May | June | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. temperature | ||||||
| +28°C | +28°C | +27°C | ||||
| Min. temperature | ||||||
| +24°C | +23°C | +22°C | ||||
| Max. temperature | ||||||
| +32°C | +30°C | +30°C | ||||
| Rainfall | ||||||
| 192 mm | 139 mm | 38 mm | ||||
| Wind | ||||||
| 2 m/s | 3 m/s | 3 m/s | ||||
| Avg. water temperature | ||||||
| +29°C | +28°C | +27°C | ||||
| Humidity | ||||||
| 84% | 82% | 78% | ||||
| Air pressure | ||||||
| 1011 HPa | 1013 HPa | 1015 HPa | ||||
| Sunny days | ||||||
| 0 | 2 | 4 | ||||
| Cloudy days | ||||||
| 1 | 4 | 7 | ||||
| Rainy days | ||||||
| 24 | 25 | 20 | ||||
| Snowy days | ||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
May weather is still as ok as in April. The temperature levels stay the same in the area of +28°C for average maximum temperature during the day. As May arrives, the amount of rainfall goes down. On average, the rainfall volume decreases from 192 mm to 139 mm. It feels drier, as humidity decreases from 84% to 82%. Winds are stronger in comparison to April, going up from 2 m/s to 3 m/s on average. The good news is there are likely to be more sunny days in May, from 0 to 2.
But maybe it is worth considering traveling in June as the weather gets better.
Wind
The average wind speed is 4 m/s getting up to 6 m/s which is a medium breeze. You can feel it, especially getting out of the water.
The average wind speed in Zanzibar is gradually increasing during May, going from 3 m/s to 3 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
How was the weather last May in Zanzibar?
Climate Change over Years
The climate in Zanzibar in May has not changed much over the last 43 years.
The average temperature was the lowest in 1984 (+27°C) and the highest in 2019 (+29°C). The driest year was 2003 with only 487 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 1997 with 1353 mm.
FAQ
Is May a good time to visit Zanzibar?
Can you sunbathe in Zanzibar in May?
Can you swim in Zanzibar in May?
Is Zanzibar rainy in May?
Is it sunny in Zanzibar in May?
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, 2023.
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.