Dar es Salaam weather in February

Zanzibar forum regulars call February one of the hottest months of the year, genuinely hard weather rather than a mild tropical warmth: “very hot, well into the 90s (around 34°C) every day,” humid enough in Stone Town that “there is not much breeze either,” with feels-like readings pushing into the low 100s°F. Rain, right after the short winter wet season, comes as “short but intense downpours” rather than all-day rain, though some stretches stay “completely cloudy.” Location within the island matters more than the average suggests: the west side facing the mainland runs less windy, while the east side has its own microclimate and sees less rain than Stone Town. Air conditioning is called a genuine must for anyone staying in Stone Town itself. Our record: 30.5°C days, feels-like 36°C and 9.6 rain days — hot and humid, matching the “one of the hottest months” read closely.

Forum posters describe January in Tanzania as hot and humid, sitting in the middle of the region's summer, with typical daytime highs in the 80sF and lows ranging from the upper 50s to low 70sF depending on location. Posters describe January as marking the end of the shorter 'vuli' rains and the start of a short, drier season that lasts a few months before heavier rains return in earnest around March, though posters note some lingering rain is still typical in January and February. Posters describe northern Tanzania specifically as often the hottest and most humid part of the country this time of year. Posters generally recommend short sleeves and light clothing for a January visit to Dar es Salaam, packing for heat and humidity as the dominant conditions.

July is winter on the Tanzanian coast, which sounds worse than it is: days near 27°C, nights around 23, and a sea still at 26°C. It sits inside the dry season, roughly June to October, and the forum describes it as sometimes cloudy but rarely raining — the best stretch of the year for beach days, snorkelling and diving, and noticeably more comfortable than the hot, humid months. Two practical notes regulars add: the coast stays warm and humid day and night whatever the "winter" label suggests, and evenings mean long sleeves — for mosquitoes rather than for warmth. The coast fills up as July goes on.