Tanzania Weather and Climate

Geographical location

According to COUNTRYAAH, Tanzania is located in East Africa and is the immediate neighbor of Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia and Mozambique, among others.

The coastline runs on the Indian Ocean and brings out dreamlike beaches as well as paradisiacal islands such as Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia Island.

Around 50 million people are at home in Tanzania, due to the many cultural influences one can confidently speak of a multiethnic state.

125 languages ​​and dialects are still counted today, but due to the long British colonial rule until 1961, English is still the official language today. This generally makes communication very easy for travelers.

Tanzania is regularly recognized as the best safari destination in the world. The government sits in the largest city of Dar es Salaam on the coast, but the official capital is Dodoma in the center of the Tanzania.

• Abbreviation Finder: Check to see national geography, brief history, society description, domestic politics, economy overview, and a list of widely used acronyms about Tanzania.

Climate in Tanzania

Tanzania is predominantly dominated by savannahs and semi-deserts, the climate of the flat coastal region with tropical conditions differs from the more moderate mountain regions in the rest of the country. The climate in Tanzania is largely similar to that of the neighboring state of Kenya, where warm to hot temperatures and a comparatively high humidity prevail on the coast all year round.

The plateaus, especially the central plateau, are characterized by high daytime temperatures and quite low nighttime temperatures. Activities such as hikes or safaris in the early morning or late evening hours can therefore sometimes be very cold.

For the most popular safari areas such as the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, the two rainy seasons in Tanzania must be observed. One generally speaks of the great rainy season from mid- March to the beginning of June, which, depending on the strength, can also result in restrictions in the passability of roads and paths. The so-called “small rainy season” in October and November, however, is usually less pronounced.

When to go to Tanzania?

Tanzania can be described as a year-round destination without hesitation, in view of the rainy seasons we recommend mid-June to the end of September and mid- December to early March as the best travel time for safaris. A great advantage for animal observation in the dry season is the fact that there are only a few watering points in the reserves and the animals are very concentrated in these areas. The months of April and May in particular are rather unsuitable for safaris; some lodges and camps in the parks are now even closed.

For an ascent of Kilimanjaro you usually start in Moshi, of course the temperatures fall steadily with increasing altitude up to the summit. The proximity to the equator ensures slight fluctuations over the course of the year, but trekking also has certain restrictions due to the rainy seasons. The best travel time for active vacationers is consequently in the months of August, September and October with very good visibility. In April, May and November, however, the paths are often slippery and therefore not safe to use.

The rainy season on the coast is characterized by humidity and mostly oppressive heat, so the conditions are not ideal. The months December to March and June to early October are also recommended for the coastal region and a beach holiday on Pemba or Zanzibar.

Optimal travel time for the regions

In the following overview you can see the best travel time depending on the region (Tanzania).

Place	Best travel time
Dar es Salaam	January, February, June, July, August and September
Mwanza	January, June, July, August and September
Kilimanjaro Airport (Arusha)	January, February, July, August, September and October
Stone Town	January, February, June, July, August, September and October
Seronera	January, February, June, July, August and September

Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)

	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Daytime temperature	31 ° C	32 ° C	32 ° C	31 ° C	30 ° C	29 ° C	29 ° C	29 ° C	30 ° C	30 ° C	31 ° C	31 ° C
Night temperature	24 ° C	24 ° C	23 ° C	23 ° C	21 ° C	19 ° C	19 ° C	18 ° C	19 ° C	20 ° C	22 ° C	23 ° C
Water temperature	28 ° C	28 ° C	28 ° C	28 ° C	27 ° C	26 ° C	25 ° C	25 ° C	25 ° C	26 ° C	27 ° C	28 ° C
Precipitation in mm	78	52	131	269	176	42	31	27	28	66	132	116
Rainy days	7	4	12	18	13	5	5	4	5	6	8	10
Hours of sunshine	8	8	7	5	7	7	7	9	8	9	8	8
Sunrise	6:20	6:30	6:30	6:25	6:25	6:30	6:35	6:30	6:15	6:00	5:55	6:05
Sunset	18:45	18:45	18:35	18:20	18:15	18:15	18:20	18:25	18:20	18:15	18:20	18:35

Temperatures

The annual average temperature in Fargo is 25.8 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is January (27.7 ° C), coldest month of July with averages of 23.5 ° C. The maximum water temperature in Fargo is 28 ° C. Comfortable bathing is possible at these temperatures. All months have a water temperature of at least 21 ° C and are therefore suitable for a beach holiday.

Precipitation

The annual precipitation is 1148 mm on 97 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. The months of April and May are considered the rainy season, as more than 175 mm of precipitation can be expected per month. Overall, around 445 mm of precipitation can be expected in the rainy season. You cannot expect snow in any month in Dar es Salaam.

Sunshine

As our climate table shows, October is the sunniest month with an average of 8.9 hours of sunshine per day. The average annual sun shines 7.6 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.

Cities nearby

The following larger towns are nearby and have a similar climate: Zanzibar City.

Herd migration: Great Migration Serengeti

In addition to the mountain regions of Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru, the safari regions in particular are among the most popular destinations in Tanzania. The Selous Game Reserve in the south is less well known by name (as is the neighboring Ruaha), but it is the largest game reserve in Africa. In addition to Lake Manyara, Tarangire and the Arusha National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater in particular is unique in the world.

However, the highlight of every Tanzania trip is a visit to the Serengeti, which is characterized by large herd migration all year round. The Great Migration of hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebras is considered to be one of the greatest wonders of our earth.

It runs from December to February in the southeast of the Serengeti, the animals contract at the beginning of the rainy season from March to April in the Ndutu area in the south. The spectacular river crossings on the Grumeti River begin around mid- July, where hungry crocodiles wait for their prey. From September onwards, large parts of the herds move on to the neighboring Masai Mara in Kenya.