Zanzibar climate
Zanzibar (Tanzania) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 27 °C81 °F, and about 1,008 mm40 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Zanzibar climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2985 | 2780 | 2883 | 622.5 |
| Feb | 3085 | 2781 | 2883 | 512.0 |
| Mar | 3086 | 2781 | 2983 | 1194.7 |
| Apr | 2984 | 2781 | 2883 | 25610 |
| May | 2883 | 2679 | 2781 | 1867.3 |
| Jun | 2781 | 2577 | 2679 | 291.1 |
| Jul | 2780 | 2475 | 2578 | 130.5 |
| Aug | 2780 | 2475 | 2578 | 140.5 |
| Sep | 2882 | 2476 | 2679 | 220.9 |
| Oct | 2883 | 2578 | 2780 | 642.5 |
| Nov | 2984 | 2679 | 2882 | 1014.0 |
| Dec | 3085 | 2781 | 2883 | 923.6 |
| Year | 3086 | 2475 | 2781 | 1,00840 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 77% | 51% | 6.0 | 12:26 |
| Feb | 76% | 48% | 6.2 | 12:19 |
| Mar | 76% | 53% | 5.8 | 12:09 |
| Apr | 79% | 60% | 4.9 | 11:59 |
| May | 79% | 53% | 4.6 | 11:50 |
| Jun | 76% | 42% | 4.8 | 11:46 |
| Jul | 74% | 39% | 5.0 | 11:48 |
| Aug | 74% | 36% | 5.5 | 11:55 |
| Sep | 74% | 32% | 6.1 | 12:05 |
| Oct | 74% | 36% | 6.4 | 12:15 |
| Nov | 75% | 40% | 6.3 | 12:24 |
| Dec | 76% | 42% | 6.2 | 12:29 |
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 Zanzibar is like
The warmest month is March, with an average high of 30 °C86 °F and a low of 27 °C81 °F. The coldest is August, when highs average 27 °C80 °F and lows 24 °C75 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 3.2 °C5.7 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,008 mm40 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is March–May, which brings 56% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: July and August. The wettest month is April (256 mm10 in), the driest is July (13 mm0.5 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 74% in September to 79% in May. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 32%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 12 km/h (8 mph) in March to 22 km/h (14 mph) in July.
Best time to visit Zanzibar
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are January and February and June–October: average highs of 27 °C80 °F to 30 °C85 °F with 13 mm0.5 in to 64 mm2.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is April, which is very wet (256 mm10 in) and humid (79% relative humidity).
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 Zanzibar
- Wetter months (March–May, November and December) — highs 2883 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 2679 to 27 °C81 °F, about 151 mm5.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (January and February, June–October) — highs 2780 to 30 °C85 °F, lows 2475 to 27 °C81 °F, about 36 mm1.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Zanzibar compares
Compared with Dar es Salaam, about 74 km to the south, Zanzibar is on average 0.3 °C0.6 °F warmer and receives 11% less precipitation (1,008 mm40 in vs 1,131 mm45 in). The difference is largest in May (0.6 °C1.1 °F warmer).
Of the 34 places in Tanzania covered by World Climates, Zanzibar is the warmest by annual mean temperature and the 26th 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): Kingston (Jamaica, Aw), Basseterre (Saint Kitts and Nevis, Aw) and Road Town (British Virgin Islands, BSh).
Nearby places
- Dar es Salaam 74 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,131 mm45 in
- Kibaha 74 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,244 mm49 in
- Tanga 122 km · 27 °C80 °F · 987 mm39 in
- Handeni 154 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,455 mm57 in
- Morogoro 185 km · 24 °C75 °F · 1,159 mm46 in
- Mombasa 240 km · 27 °C81 °F · 894 mm35 in
- Jomvu 246 km · 27 °C81 °F · 894 mm35 in
- Malindi 343 km · 27 °C81 °F · 848 mm33 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Zanzibar?
March is the warmest month in Zanzibar, with an average high of 30 °C (86 °F) and an average low of 27 °C (81 °F).
What is the coldest month in Zanzibar?
August is the coldest month, with an average high of 27 °C (80 °F) and an average low of 24 °C (75 °F).
When does it rain the most in Zanzibar?
April is the wettest month with about 256 mm (10.1 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 13 mm (0.5 in).
What is the best time to visit Zanzibar?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are January and February and June–October.
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.