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When is the best time to visit Zanzibar?
In general the best time to visit Zanzibar is probably December, when the weather is usually great. The hottest months are February, March, December, while the coldest months are June, July, August.
The best time to visit may differ depending on what you are looking for:
- The best time for a sunbathing holiday is February, March, December. Average maximum temperatures are up to +29°C in December and it has 0 sunny days on average.
- In general, it’s pleasant to walk and do outdoor activities during January - December.
- If you want to avoid wet weather, then your choice is April, May, December with the lowest chance of rain.
Average weather in Zanzibar in different months
This is the average weather in Zanzibar for each month based on historic data:
February, June, July, August, September usually has good weather. Average maximum temperature reaches +29°C during February.
In January, March, April, May, October, November, December the weather is average. Expect around 168 rainy days, and the precipitation amounts to approximately 192 mm in April.
Climate in Zanzibar
Here is the detailed breakdown of the climate in Zanzibar for each month:
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Temperature | |||||||||||
| +32°C | +32°C | +33°C | +32°C | +30°C | +30°C | +29°C | +29°C | +29°C | +31°C | +31°C | +31°C |
| Average Maximum Temperature | |||||||||||
| +29°C | +29°C | +29°C | +28°C | +28°C | +27°C | +27°C | +27°C | +27°C | +28°C | +28°C | +29°C |
| Minimum Temperature | |||||||||||
| +24°C | +25°C | +24°C | +24°C | +23°C | +22°C | +21°C | +22°C | +22°C | +22°C | +24°C | +24°C |
| Avg. water temperature | |||||||||||
| +30°C | +30°C | +30°C | +31°C | +29°C | +28°C | +27°C | +27°C | +27°C | +28°C | +30°C | +30°C |
| Humidity, % | |||||||||||
| 79 | 78 | 80 | 84 | 82 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 77 | 79 | 81 | 81 |
| Rain, mm | |||||||||||
| 52 | 38 | 117 | 192 | 139 | 38 | 28 | 32 | 27 | 59 | 92 | 110 |
| Snow, mm | |||||||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Average wind speed, m/s | |||||||||||
| 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Sunny Days | |||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Cloud Days | |||||||||||
| 7 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Rainy Days | |||||||||||
| 22 | 16 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| Snowy Days | |||||||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Average Temperature
Here are the average maximum and minimum temperatures in Zanzibar during the whole year:
The hottest month in Zanzibar is December with average maximum temperature going up to +29°C. The coldest month is June with the lowest temperatures of +24°C.
Water temperature
Here are the water temperatures in Zanzibar during the whole year:
Zanzibar achieves its warmest water temperature in March, where the average sea temperature goes up to +29°C. Coldest water temperature is in August with +26°C in average.
When can you swim in Zanzibar?
You can swim in Zanzibar from January to December:
- In January - May the water is very warm (28°C);
- In June - November the water is warm (25°C - 28°C);
Humidity
The temperature feels different depending on humidity. Here is how humidity in Zanzibar looks throughout the year, in %:
The most humid month in Zanzibar is April with average humidity going up to 84%. The least humid month is September with an average humidity of 77%.
Rain
Amount of rainfall in mm. in Zanzibar during the whole year based on historical data:
The sunniest and driest month is June with approximately 4 sunny days and a total precipitation of around 38 mm. The rainiest and wettest month is April with approximately 24 rainy days and 192 mm of total precipitation.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the weather in Zanzibar:
What is the hottest month in Zanzibar?
The hottest month in Zanzibar is December with average maximum temperature of +29°C.
What is the coldest month in Zanzibar?
The coldest month in Zanzibar is June with minimum temperatures of +24°C.
Is Zanzibar worth visiting in winter?
Winter in Zanzibar could be a good time to visit, as the weather is generally ok.
When does it rain the least in Zanzibar?
if you're looking to visit Zanzibar when it rains the least, you should plan your trip for April, May, March. During this time, rainfall is rare with the driest month being September with only 27 mm of rain.
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, 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.