The Weather in Zanzibar
Zanzibar island is located on the East Coast of Tanzania, offering a great sense of culture, history, geography and of course white-sand beaches.
Understandably, you want to make sure to enjoy this picture-perfect island, doing so when the weather in Zanzibar is at its best. Be sure to read this post about the meteo of Zanzibar to make sure you’ll get the right information to enjoy your holiday to the fullest.
Beautiful spices on the markets, white sand beaches with palm trees waving, and a welcome breeze to cool you down. YES! Zanzibar is a premium holiday destination in Tanzania that you should not miss out on.
In this article:
When is the best time to travel to Zanzibar? A question often asked, and the answer will always be depending on the purpose of the visit. Zanzibar is located at the same latitude as Tanzania, so the weather is therefore very similar to that of Zanzibar. However, there may be some more rain and moisture in Zanzibar compared to the weather in the mainland.
These climate and weather statistics are based on average values during the weather of Zanzibar. Recent years have shown that the weather is not always as predictable as desired, which would make travel planning much easier. Therefore, we always recommend that you share your wishes, questions and expectations with one of us, and do not let weather statistics alone be crucial in choosing the time of travel.
Weather is probably the most important thing to consider when planning your trip to Zanzibar. Evidently, it’s difficult to apply universal rules to a country as large and geographically diverse as Tanzania; but there are basic weather patterns that give a general idea of what you can expect at any given time of year.
Best Time to Visit Zanzibar
The best time to visit Zanzibar is between the months of July and September (its summertime) when it is warm and balmy, and then again in the popular dry season between the months of December and February.
Zanzibar experiences a wet season, around the months of March, April and May and it’s usually not as cool as the summer season.
Tourists and adventure travelers flock to Zanzibar for a number of reasons, and depending on your interests, the most ideal time to visit Zanzibar will mostly depend on what it is that you’re after.
For example, beach strolling and taking dips in the warm ocean, inhaling the sweet aromas of the spice tours around Stone Town or scuba diving to marvel at the beautiful creatures down below Zanzibar will leave you fully satisfied.
Monthly Weather Overview of Zanzibar
Get to know what to expect each month as you plan your exotic trip to Zanzibar island.
January
This is the start of the ‘short dry season’.February
This has to be the hottest month, and relatively dry, just before the main rains start.
March
Buckle up, the main and long wet season starts characterized with heavy rainfall.
April
Here comes the wettest month of the year on Zanzibar with a high humidity level.
May
This month has very heavy rains; afternoon downpours are to be expected.
June
And summer is here. The long dry season begins; the weather is usually sunny with clear skies, however don’t be surprised by a short rainfall backlash from green season.
July
The landscape is beautiful green and lush; Zanzibar’s best time.
August
Here is to the lovely warm days, cooler nights and normally very little rain.
September
September is dry and lovely, similar to July and August.
October
Let’s welcome the warm and clear month, with rain possible at the end of the month
November
Again, the start of a this time short green or ‘rainy’ season.
December
Here is when the temperatures gradually edges up during the second month of the short rains.
Seasonal weather overview of Zanzibar
In Zanzibar, you usually don’t speak about the weather in months, but in seasons. Some information about every local season below.
January and February – Drought period
January and February are warm and sunny months where rain rarely comes. This is why this period is a very popular period to visit Zanzibar. Of the two periods of dry weather, this is statistically the warmest one.
March, April and May – Rainy season
March, April and May are months when most of the rain is pouring down on the island. Humidity is high, and the daily temperature in some cases can be above 30 °C. This period is considered the rainy season of Zanzibar – however, it rarely rains all day. Most rain showers are heavy and usually last 30 minutes – 2 hours, after which the sky clears and the sun quickly shows up again.
June, July, August, September and October – Drought period
June to October are the months when it rarely rains. It is usually clear and sunny. Temperature can vary depending on location and wind. It’s a good time to visit Zanzibar with pleasant temperatures of about 25 °C.
November and December – Rainy season
During this period, short and not so heavy showers come regularly. This rainy season doesn’t get as much rain as it does, especially in April and May. In some years, however, there is almost no rain in November and December, and the dry season continues from June to December.
Does Zanzibar have summer, autumn, winter and spring?
Not specifically. But if you’d try to put it into these categories it would look like this:
Summer: December – February with temperatures around 30-35°C
Rainy season: March till mid June, temperatures around 25-28°C in March, but when it rains it comes around 22-25°C. Expect heavy rains and sometimes floods especially from mid April till mid June. So most of the hotels are closed during the rainy season.
Winter: June – August, around 25° C, with cold wind especially in June
Spring: September – November, around 25-28° C. This is the “mini” rainy season
Compared to other African countries
For comparison, look at the climate of other African destinations:
► Botswana climate – subtropical desert climate characterized by great differences in day and night temperatures, and low humidity overall
It differs from Zanzibar only with shorter rains.
► Kenya climate – lies on the equator and has a pleasant, tropical climate, but there are large regional climatic variations influenced by several factors, including altitude.
Kenya’s coast has a similar weather pattern to Zanzibar.
► Malawi climate – generally tropical,the altitude moderates what would be an otherwise equatorial climate
A shorter rainy season than in Zanzibar.
► Mozambique climate – tropical to sub-tropical climate and experiences two seasons: a cool and dry season from April to September and a hot and humid season between October and March
► Namibia climate – characterized by high climatic variability through persistent droughts, unpredictable and variable rainfall patterns, variability in temperatures and water scarcity
Much less rain than Zanzibar.
► Rwanda climate – tropical climate characterized by its hilly landscape stretching from east to west
► Seychelles climate – tropical, with daily temperatures of between 24 and 30 °C, strong maritime influences
► Cape of South Africa climate – Mediterranean climate with warm to hot, dry, sunny summer weather and mild, rainy conditions in winter
Very different weather pattern from Zanzibar’s
► Zambia climate –predominantly sub-tropical climate characterized by three distinct seasons(hot and dry,wet and rainy,cool and dry season)
► Zimbabwe climate – lovely, temperate climate including rainy/green season and dry season
Does it snow in Africa?
If by any chance you start to miss colder weather while in Tanzania, you can visit Mount Kilimanjaro, where temperatures go down to -21°C at the top.
The answer is yes! For some parts of Southern Africa and African mountains it is normal to snow. Places like Johannesburg and Drakensberg receive snow in their “cold”/ rainy seasons, although this phenomenon is not common to happen every year. On mountains such as Table Mountain(Cape Town), Atlas Mountains( stretches through Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco),The Ceres and Cederberg (south-western Cape) and mountain Kilimanjaro it snows on top.
Manage your expectations
Get to know what to expect each month as you plan your exotic trip to Zanzibar island.
Mind you, as bipolar as it could get the monthly weather predictions are not static. Conditions could change anytime, it could either be extended rainfalls or no rain at all. The above monthly description could only give you a clue before visiting Zanzibar.
The above guide to the weather of Zanzibar is broad and remember that this comes from past records and experience. Weather patterns across Africa are becoming increasingly unpredictable, probably due to global warming.
Again the question “When is the best time to visit Zanzibar?” is often complex. Since your visit will depend on a number of factors including interests, exactly where you want to visit and budget.
What is your favorite time to travel to Zanzibar, Tanzania?