Shinyanga climate
Shinyanga (Tanzania) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 24 °C75 °F, and about 1,030 mm41 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Shinyanga climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2882 | 1864 | 2373 | 1325.2 |
| Feb | 2984 | 1864 | 2374 | 1054.1 |
| Mar | 2883 | 1864 | 2374 | 1485.8 |
| Apr | 2882 | 1864 | 2373 | 1315.2 |
| May | 2984 | 1762 | 2373 | 481.9 |
| Jun | 3086 | 1660 | 2373 | 70.3 |
| Jul | 3187 | 1660 | 2374 | 30.1 |
| Aug | 3290 | 1763 | 2577 | 70.3 |
| Sep | 3392 | 1967 | 2680 | 160.6 |
| Oct | 3391 | 1967 | 2679 | 712.8 |
| Nov | 3085 | 1865 | 2475 | 1787.0 |
| Dec | 2882 | 1865 | 2373 | 1847.2 |
| Year | 3392 | 1660 | 2475 | 1,03041 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75% | 69% | 5.9 | 12:19 |
| Feb | 73% | 66% | 6.4 | 12:14 |
| Mar | 76% | 69% | 6.3 | 12:08 |
| Apr | 77% | 69% | 6.0 | 12:02 |
| May | 69% | 52% | 5.9 | 11:57 |
| Jun | 56% | 35% | 5.9 | 11:55 |
| Jul | 46% | 27% | 6.1 | 11:56 |
| Aug | 42% | 35% | 6.4 | 11:00 |
| Sep | 41% | 46% | 6.6 | 12:06 |
| Oct | 51% | 61% | 6.6 | 12:12 |
| Nov | 69% | 70% | 6.1 | 12:17 |
| Dec | 75% | 72% | 5.8 | 12:20 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Shinyanga is like
The warmest month is September, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 19 °C67 °F. The coldest is June, when highs average 30 °C86 °F and lows 16 °C60 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 3.6 °C6.6 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,030 mm41 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 48% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: June–September. The wettest month is December (184 mm7.2 in), the driest is July (3 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 41% in September to 77% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 27%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in January to 13 km/h (8 mph) in August.
Best time to visit Shinyanga
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and June: average highs of 29 °C84 °F to 30 °C86 °F with 7 mm0.3 in to 48 mm1.9 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is November, which is very wet (178 mm7.0 in).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Shinyanga
- Wetter months (November–April) — highs 2882 to 30 °C85 °F, lows around 18 °C64 °F, about 146 mm5.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (May–October) — highs 2984 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 1660 to 19 °C67 °F, about 25 mm1.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Shinyanga compares
Compared with Kahama, about 93 km to the west, Shinyanga is on average 0.9 °C1.6 °F warmer and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in August (1.4 °C2.6 °F warmer).
Of the 34 places in Tanzania covered by World Climates, Shinyanga is the 12th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 24th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Tanzania climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Uíge (Angola, Aw), Mysuru (India, Aw) and San Salvador (El Salvador, Aw).
Nearby places
- Nzega 67 km · 23 °C73 °F · 968 mm38 in
- Kahama 93 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,003 mm39 in
- Bariadi 115 km · 23 °C74 °F · 1,039 mm41 in
- Mwanza 140 km · 24 °C75 °F · 1,090 mm43 in
- Sengerema 140 km · 23 °C74 °F · 1,092 mm43 in
- Geita 159 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,043 mm41 in
- Tabora 164 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,053 mm41 in
- Bunda 189 km · 24 °C75 °F · 999 mm39 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Shinyanga?
September is the warmest month in Shinyanga, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (67 °F).
What is the coldest month in Shinyanga?
June is the coldest month, with an average high of 30 °C (86 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (60 °F).
When does it rain the most in Shinyanga?
December is the wettest month with about 184 mm (7.2 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 3 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Shinyanga?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and June.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.