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Zanzibar climate data

Best times to travel

The best times to travel section shows how the months compare for a visit, so you can find the time of year that fits what you want to do.

Background colours of the months:
The colour shows the typical temperature: yellow (hot), green (mild) and blue (cold). How strong the colour is shows the travel season: full colour means high season, soft colour means shoulder season and soft-striped means off season.

Weather symbols:
Each month has one symbol showing what the weather is typically like, such as hot and sunny, freezing or a rainy or snowy season. Use them to quickly spot months that match the weather you want, or to avoid the ones that don't.

Crowdedness:
The people icon shows how busy the place usually is. The more people, the more crowded it gets.

Additional notes:
The grey info boxes point out special things worth knowing, like recurring weather issues or seasonal events.

for Zanzibar, Tanzania
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Jan
🔥
Feb
🌦️
Mar
⛈️
Apr
⛈️
May
🔥
Jun
☀️
Jul
🔥
Aug
🔥
Sep
🔥
Oct
🌦️
Nov
🌦️
Dec
High season: Jan. - Feb., July - Sep., Dec.
Shoulder season: March, June, Oct.
Crowdedness: 8 (Very crowded)
Tap on a month for more info Hover over a month for more info
Long rains April to May: many hotels and restaurants close, especially on the east coast
Ramadan: daytime food options limited in Stone Town and villages, many restaurants closed until sunset
Tides differ by coast: east coast beaches (Paje, Jambiani) are shallow at low tide, north and Nungwi swim all day
Average climate data for Zanzibar, Tanzania
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average maximum temperature (°C) 32 33 33 30 29 28 28 28 29 30 32 32 33
Average minimum temperature (°C) 24 24 25 25 24 23 22 22 22 23 24 24 22
Average precipitation (mm) 58 67 145 317 289 53 28 30 41 65 168 139 1,400
Average rainfall days (days) 10 5 12 17 16 7 7 8 8 9 13 13 125
Average water temperature (°C) 28 28 29 29 28 27 26 26 26 27 28 28 28
Average daily daylight hours (h) 12 12 12 12 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 12
Average daily sunshine hours (h) 8 8 7 6 6 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
Average UV index 12 12 12 12 10 9 10 11 12 12 12 12 11

Minimum and maximum temperatures in Zanzibar

The warmest month, with the highest average maximum temperature, is February (32.9 °C). The month with the lowest average maximum temperature is July (27.9 °C). Overall, the average maximum temperature over the whole year is 30.4 °C.

The month with the highest average minimum temperature is March (25.1 °C). The coldest month, with the lowest average minimum temperature, is September (21.9 °C). Overall, the average minimum temperature over the whole year is 23.5 °C.

Water temperature in Zanzibar

The month with the highest average water temperature is March (29.3 °C). The month with the lowest average water temperature is August (25.5 °C). Overall, the average water temperature over the whole year is 27.5 °C.

Rainfall amount in Zanzibar

The wettest month, with the highest amount of precipitation, is April (316.8 mm). The driest month, with the least amount of precipitation, is July (28.2 mm). Over the whole year there are 1,400.5 mm of rainfall on average.

Rainfall days in Zanzibar

The month with the most days of rain is April (17 days). The month with the fewest days of rain is February (5.1 days). Over the whole year there are 124.8 days of rain on average.

Daylight hours and sunshine hours in Zanzibar

The month with the longest days, so the most daylight, is December (Average daylight: 12 h). The months with the shortest days, so the least daylight, are May, June, July and August (Average daylight: 11.1 h). Over the whole year there are 11.7 h of daylight per day on average.

The month with the most sunshine per day is October (Average sunshine: 8.1 h). The month with the least sunshine per day is May (Average sunshine: 6 h). Over the whole year there are 7.6 h of sunlight per day on average.

UV index in Zanzibar

The months with the highest average UV index are January, February, March, April, September, October, November and December (UV index: 12). The month with the lowest average UV index is June (UV index: 9). Over the whole year the average UV index is 11.3.

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