Zanzibar in Winter
In winter (June, July and August), Zanzibar sees average daytime highs around 27°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 78 mm of rain over about 22 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the driest season of the year.
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 27°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels muggy.
Winter is Zanzibar's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. Zanzibar has little temperature swing across the year, so its calendar seasons blur — the season framing matters less here than for a place with four distinct seasons. For the whole year in context, see Zanzibar's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 27°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 23°C
- Rainfall
- 78 mm
- 22 wet days
- Avg wind
- 16 km/h
- Travel score
- 7.0
- best season of the year
- Months
- Jun · Jul · Aug
Temperature in Zanzibar in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 27°C.
A typical winter day in Zanzibar reaches about 27°C and drops to 23°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is June, the coolest August.
How winter really feels in Zanzibar
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
winter sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Zanzibar weather by month
How the three winter months (June, July and August) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30° / 27° | 44 | 9.7 | 12.3 | 5.2 |
| Feb | 30° / 27° | 36 | 7.7 | 12.2 | 5.1 |
| Mar | 30° / 26° | 122 | 21 | 12 | 3.8 |
| Apr | 29° / 25° | 200 | 25.5 | 11.9 | 3.5 |
| May | 28° / 25° | 146 | 18.9 | 11.7 | 5.0 |
| Jun | 28° / 24° | 35 | 9.6 | 11.6 | 6.6 |
| Jul | 27° / 23° | 22 | 6.4 | 11.7 | 7.1 |
| Aug | 27° / 23° | 21 | 6.2 | 11.8 | 7.2 |
| Sep | 28° / 23° | 19 | 5.4 | 12 | 7.1 |
| Oct | 29° / 24° | 52 | 9.8 | 12.1 | 5.9 |
| Nov | 29° / 25° | 84 | 18 | 12.3 | 4.5 |
| Dec | 30° / 26° | 93 | 20.3 | 12.4 | 4.1 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Zanzibar gets around 78 mm of rain over 22 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Winter
Most of winter feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Winter
Winds average 16 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min in early June to 11 h 54 min by late August. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Winter
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across winter, about 4.8 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Zanzibar
None of Zanzibar's seasonal hazards peak in winter. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do.
Zanzibar sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.
Zanzibar's rainy season runs March–May, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is winter a good time to visit Zanzibar?
Our two travel scores rate winter for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
winter is a reasonable time to visit Zanzibar for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Zanzibar in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Zanzibar sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 22 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Zanzibar in Winter
The nearest coast averages about 26°C across winter — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea offshore is warmest in March at about 29°C and coldest in August near 26°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| Comfort | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | Tropical |
| Feb | 29 | Tropical |
| Mar | 29 | Tropical |
| Apr | 29 | Tropical |
| May | 28 | Tropical |
| Jun | 27 | Warm |
| Jul | 26 | Warm |
| Aug | 26 | Warm |
| Sep | 26 | Warm |
| Oct | 27 | Warm |
| Nov | 28 | Warm |
| Dec | 29 | Tropical |
UV index in Zanzibar in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Zanzibar peaks around March 16 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 9 (very high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | Extreme |
| Feb | 14 | Extreme |
| Mar | 15 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 10 | Extreme |
| Jun | 9 | Very high |
| Jul | 10 | Extreme |
| Aug | 10 | Extreme |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 13 | Extreme |
| Nov | 12 | Extreme |
| Dec | 12 | Extreme |
Air quality in Zanzibar in Winter
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where winter falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Zanzibar is worst in January — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.2× the cleanest month (November, 8 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 18 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 13 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18 | Moderate |
| Feb | 16 | Moderate |
| Mar | 13 | Moderate |
| Apr | 11 | Good |
| May | 14 | Moderate |
| Jun | 16 | Moderate |
| Jul | 17 | Moderate |
| Aug | 15 | Moderate |
| Sep | 13 | Moderate |
| Oct | 9 | Good |
| Nov | 8 | Good |
| Dec | 13 | Moderate |
Where is Zanzibar?
Zanzibar sits at 6.2°S, 39.2°E, 14 m above sea level, in Tanzania. The nearest listed city is Bagamoyo, 45 km away.
Topography around Zanzibar
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Zanzibar.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Zanzibar has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 46 m around an average of 8 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 124 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 347 m.
The land around Zanzibar is covered by water (53%) and artificial surfaces (35%) within 3 km, water (58%) and trees (27%) within 16 km, and water (61%) within 80 km.
Tanzania travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 3
- Reconsider Travel
- Power plugs
- Type D / G
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 29% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $1,319
- 2025
- Happiness
- 3.9 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 31%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 3.7
- per 100k, 2020
- Road deaths
- 31.1
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Lower middle
- World Bank
- English
- Low
- EF EPI 479
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Zanzibar (-6.1639°, 39.1979°, elevation 14 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google.