Dar es Salaam weather in September
September in Dar es Salaam: sweltering, dry, with clean air — fine if you can take sticky heat.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#3 of 12 months in Dar es Salaam · #758 of 1413 destinations to visit in September · comfort 78/100 (tier B)
- Days
- 31°C
- Nights
- 21°C
- Wet days
- 8
- Sun
- 11.1 h
- Humidity
- 76%
- Daylight
- 12 h

Traveller notes on Dar es Salaam in September
Notes from nearby Zanzibar (74 km away)
Dar es Salaam doesn't have its own notes for September yet — these are about Zanzibar, close enough to share the season.
September sits inside the June-to-October dry season and regulars describe it simply as dry and pleasantly hot - our 21.9mm falls across 7.1 days, so those are showers rather than rain. The decision they want you to make is which coast. The kusi, the south-easterly, blows through September and October and the east side takes it; that is breezy relief to some people and a nuisance to others, and the west is the still, hotter alternative. Our 18.8 kph is an island average and hides that split. Days reach 30.6C but read as 34C at 75 percent humidity, with a 26.6C sea and nights that only fall to 22.1C. The record: 11.1 hours of sun and AQI 31, among the cleanest air in the collection.
Other months in Dar es Salaam
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.
Add your own note from Dar es Salaam's card on the map.
Dar es Salaam climate normals — September
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Dar es Salaam in September
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
BusySeptember short break in Tanzania, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Dar es Salaam's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Best weatherDar es Salaam's weather peaks July–September.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Dar es Salaam in September
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Season
Kusi, the south-east monsoon
1 Jun – 20 Sep · usuallyWind seasonA steady south-easterly cools the coast through the middle of the year and keeps the humidity down. It also puts a chop on the channel, so the fast ferry to Zanzibar is a rougher hour than the brochure suggests. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Dar es Salaam — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Dar es Salaam?
Dar es Salaam in September — FAQ
- Is September a good time to visit Dar es Salaam?
- September in Dar es Salaam: sweltering, dry, with clean air — fine if you can take sticky heat. It ranks #3 of 12 months for Dar es Salaam on SeasonMap's comfort score (78/100).
- What is the weather like in Dar es Salaam in September?
- In September, Dar es Salaam averages a daily high of 30.6°C and a low of 21.2°C, with about 21.8 mm of rain over roughly 7.9 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Dar es Salaam in September?
- Dar es Salaam has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 34 in September.
Within 300 km: Zanzibar's Kusi, the cool monsoon around 1 Jun – 30 Sep.