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Weather in May in Zanzibar

Thinking about venturing to Zanzibar this May and curious about the weather conditions to expect? This page holds all the key information you seek, responding to your question:

What is the weather like in Zanzibar in May?

Zanzibar is a region in Tanzania. May in Zanzibar generally has warm temperatures, with precipitation levels ranging from high to heavy.

Temperatures

You can expect warm maximum daytime temperatures of around 29°C and nighttime temperatures around 25°C in Zanzibar City. The temperatures cited for both day and night represent usual averages, but it's possible some days could be hotter. It's advisable to dress accordingly to handle the heat.

Precipitation

In May, precipitation varies across different areas. From high rainfall in Mbweni with an average of 160 mm to heavy rainfall in Nungwi with 244 mm.

For a closer look at May's conditions in Zanzibar, see the map below. For a more detailed look at Zanzibar's yearly weather, check out our Zanzibar climate page.

Where to go in Zanzibar in May

Find more information for the most popular destinations in the Zanzibar on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more detailes.

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Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

Popular destinations

What is the weather like in May for the 5 most popular destinations in Zanzibar?

Zanzibar City

In May Zanzibar City generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 29°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 25°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are pleasant that month.

Zanzibar City
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
30°C 
26°C 
230 mm 
16 days 
poor 
29°C 
25°C 
166 mm 
15 days 
June   >> June
>>  
29°C 
24°C 
53 mm 
7 days 
Climate in Zanzibar City

Nungwi

In May Nungwi generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 29°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 25°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Nungwi
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
29°C 
26°C 
297 mm 
17 days 
poor 
29°C 
25°C 
244 mm 
17 days 
June   >> June
>>  
28°C 
25°C 
80 mm 
8 days 
Climate in Nungwi

Jambiani

In May Jambiani generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 29°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 25°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Jambiani
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
30°C 
26°C 
154 hours 
280 mm 
17 days 
poor 
29°C 
25°C 
215 hours 
209 mm 
15 days 
June   >> June
>>  
28°C 
25°C 
225 hours 
63 mm 
7 days 
Climate in Jambiani

Paje

In May Paje generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 29°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 25°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Paje
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
30°C 
26°C 
271 mm 
16 days 
poor 
29°C 
25°C 
203 mm 
15 days 
June   >> June
>>  
28°C 
25°C 
61 mm 
7 days 
Climate in Paje

Bwejuu

In May Bwejuu generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 29°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 25°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Bwejuu
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
30°C 
26°C 
268 mm 
17 days 
poor 
29°C 
25°C 
202 mm 
16 days 
June   >> June
>>  
28°C 
24°C 
60 mm 
7 days 
Climate in Bwejuu

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in Zanzibar, in Tanzania.

Is May the best time to visit Zanzibar?

Given the typically pleasant weather conditions in Zanzibar City, May might be a good time to visit Zanzibar. However, the weather conditions may vary depending on your destination.

On average, the best time to visit Zanzibar is in June, July, August and September with generally perfect weather in Zanzibar City. On the other hand, the month of April tends to have poor weather conditions.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Zanzibar. Interested in the weather conditions in a specific month? Select the month below.

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  • Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to Tanzania? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in Tanzania.

    Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.