Tanzania is a vast country situated just south of the equator and has a variable climate depending heavily on the elevation and geography of a particular place. Heat and humidity prevail particularly on the coastal area and the weather is tropical. While the northern highlands are consistently cool and the central plain areas remain dry and arid throughout the year. Tanzania’s most popular touristic areas experience two rainy and two dry seasons every year. There is very little rainfall during June until October and the humidity is very low during this dry period. Nights cool down a little bit requiring warm clothes especially for morning game drives. Temperatures in the afternoon during these months range between 20-30⁰C (68-86⁰F) at differently elevated locations. Most days during dry season have fine, clear skies and sunny weather.
In most of the wet season that fall between November and May, the temperatures in the afternoon are consistently hot nearing about 30⁰C/86⁰F and bit colder at higher altitudes while mornings are usually cold in most northern parks due to high elevation. About a month, beginning November end up to mid-December, is the time for unpredictable ‘short rains’ that will hardly affect any safari trips. The northern parks and the coastal areas get a fair amount of break during the rainy season during January and February. March, April and May are considered to be the wettest months that receive ‘long rains’ when it rains heavily almost every day and humidity remains comparably high, especially in the hotter southern and western parks.
During the spring months of March, April, and May the maximum temperatures during the daytime are 28-29⁰C (82-84⁰F) and the minimum temperatures are 16-18⁰C (61-64⁰F). In the first half of the season southern parts of the country gets flooded while there is a perfectly fine weather in rest of the places like Zanzibar Archipelago and Mafia Island through the entire month of March. Things become opposite during the middle of April when southern portion of Kenya has dry weather while rest of the country receives “long showers”.
Summer time is actually a cooler season in Tanzania. Overall, the day temperatures are moderate and the weather is drier. The maximum daytime temperatures in the eastern coast are 29⁰C (84⁰F) while it is quite cooler in the northern mountains and central regions with temperatures ranging from 22 to 25⁰C (72 to77 ⁰F). These months are the ideal times to visit this part of the African continent, with fewer precipitation and optimal water temperature for swimming.
Fall or autumn in Tanzania is the time when temperature starts to increase a bit by September, but nights are still cool and the country is mostly dry. This is a season of short rains that does not last for more than two hours or so. It finishes by the end of November while the southern parts of the country begin receiving rainfall that will last up to April. The maximum autumn temperatures during the daytime are 29-32⁰C (84-90⁰) and the minimum temperatures are 15-18⁰C (59-64⁰F).
Three winter months, December, January and February are, in fact, the hottest times of the year with temperatures reaching up to 35⁰C (95⁰F). The amount of precipitation differs depending on the altitude of the location you are traveling to. In the southern regions, winter is actually another rainy season that lasts up to April. We recommend travelers with heat sensitivity issues to take extra precautions as high humidity complicates breathing, especially if you are traveling during these months. However, in the western and northern parts of the country winter is just the opposite. Weather is simply great and provides every kind of promotion for all activities that a tourist would participate in during his or her trip to Tanzania. In the capital city Dar es Salaam, January and February are the driest months, but seaside activities are not possible due to stormy wind, muddy water and plenty of planktons.
