Zanzibar weather in May
Temperature, sea and sunshine in May: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in May
Good
Best time to visit: January – February, June – October
What is the weather like in Zanzibar in May?
In May, Zanzibar is hot: daytime highs average 28 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 24 °C. The sea averages 28.0 °C – lovely and warm for swimming. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 16 days, totalling 115 mm. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, May is a good month for a holiday in Zanzibar.
May compared
How the weather changes from April to June. Tap a month to open it.
More details for May
- Daylight
- 11 h 50 min06:24 – 18:14
- UV index
- 11 · extremeclear sky, noon (estimate)
- Muggy days
- 31 daysdew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 16 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 53 %on average
- Hot days
- 1 day30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC+3Africa/Dar_es_Salaam
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %100 %
- Seaweight 25 %100 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %63 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %17 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in May
- Swimwear
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
- Light, breathable clothes
- Insect repellent
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Zanzibar in May: quick answers
Is Zanzibar hot in May?
Yes. In May, Zanzibar is hot: daytime highs average 28 °C and nights stay around 24 °C. On about 1 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more.
Can you swim in Zanzibar in May?
Yes. In May the sea averages 28.0 °C – lovely and warm for swimming.
Does it rain much in Zanzibar in May?
It rains often – on about 16 days, adding up to 115 mm.
Zanzibar month by month
The whole year in ZanzibarAll destinations: Tanzania
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)