Malindi weather in March

March in Malindi: sweltering, a little rain, with clean air — fine if you can take 38°C afternoons.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Malindi🇰🇪 Kenya · Swahili Coast · Beach89
  1. 92Jan
  2. 92Feb
  3. 89Mar
  4. 79Apr
  5. 77May
  6. 87Jun
  7. 89Jul
  8. 90Aug
  9. 91Sep
  10. 86Oct
  11. 87Nov
  12. 89Dec

#5 of 12 months in Malindi · #203 of 1413 destinations to visit in March · comfort 89/100 (tier A)

Days
33°C
Nights
26°C
Wet days
9
Sun
10.8 h
Humidity
77%
Daylight
12 h
Malindi, Kenya
Photo: Mgiganteus · CC BY-SA 3.0

Traveller notes on Malindi in March

Notes from nearby Lamu (137 km away)

Malindi doesn't have its own notes for March yet — these are about Lamu, close enough to share the season.

The coast here is run by two winds with their own names, and March is where one hands over to the other. The kaskazi, the north-east monsoon, has held since November or December and keeps the first part of the month hot and dry. Then the wind swings east and south-east - the kusi - and the long rains follow, triggered around the equinox on about the 22nd, which is why regulars say the rains can arrive in the last few days of March. April, May and June are wet enough that coastal properties close and do not reopen until mid-June or early July. Our row reads the dry three-quarters: 29.1mm across 6.7 days, with 31.5C over 26.4C nights feeling like 37C and 31C. The record: 11 hours of sun, a 28.6C sea and AQI 33.
KaskaziUntilTheEquinox · March · 1 month ago · about Lamu · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in Malindi

Kenya's forum draws a clear line between inland 'winter' and the coast: Malindi stays warm and humid through August, one of the coolest stretches of the year here but still tropical, rarely genuinely cold even in the evenings. The typical rain pattern is rain-sun-rain-sun rather than an all-day soak, and it's common for one beach to get a shower while another just a couple of miles up the coast stays completely dry. Posters were clear that a rain forecast means a chance of a passing shower, not a washed-out day.
KenyaCoastRegular · August · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Forum posters describe February as hot, dry and sunny by day along Kenya's coast, including Malindi, with warm, balmy evenings and an onshore breeze that keeps things feeling pleasant rather than oppressive even when daytime temperatures run high. Posters are consistent that Kenya's rainy periods are fairly predictable - a shorter one around this time of year and a longer, heavier one from roughly late March through May - positioning February squarely within the drier stretch. Posters do note that even when a forecast shows rain, it typically means just a chance of a shower rather than an all-day washout, and rain in one part of the coast doesn't necessarily mean rain everywhere along it. Posters generally rate February as one of the more reliably good months for a Malindi beach visit.
Tripadvisor community · February · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Add your own note from Malindi's card on the map.

Malindi climate normals — March

Daytime high33°C / 91°F🔥 sweltering
Nighttime low26°C / 80°F
Feels like (high)38°C / 100°F
Sea temperature29°C / 84°F♨️ bath-warm
Rainfall35 mm / 1.4 in🌦 some rain
Rainy days9 days
Humidity77%💦 very humid
Dew point24°C / 75°F
Sunshine10.8 h/day
Daylight12.1 h
Wind19 km/h / 12 mph
Air quality (US AQI)33🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Malindi in March

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.

Peak crowdsRamadan, Eid al-Fitr, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Malindi'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).

Fair weatherMalindi's weather doesn't swing hard through the year — comfort stays fairly steady in every month.

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What's on in Malindi in March

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Holiday

    Ramadan

    17 Feb – 19 MarClosures

    Malindi's old town has a long Swahili Muslim history and keeps the fast seriously: daytime kitchens close and hours shift there, even as the resort strip along the beach carries on for the winter charter crowd. Source ↗

  • Holiday

    Eid al-Fitr

    20–23 MarRamadan & EidClosures

    Three days of celebration end the fast, with the old town's streets and the beachfront full of families in new clothes. Transport and the popular restaurants book up locally. Source ↗

  • Season

    Italian winter season

    1 Dec – 15 Apr · usuallyWinter-sun seasonCrowded

    Malindi's high season is driven by Italian charter flights and long-staying visitors escaping Europe's cold, running from early December through Easter. Restaurants along the seafront still post their menus in Italian first. Source ↗

What's on around the world in March →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Malindi — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Malindi?

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Malindi in March — FAQ

Is March a good time to visit Malindi?
March in Malindi: sweltering, a little rain, with clean air — fine if you can take 38°C afternoons. It ranks #5 of 12 months for Malindi on SeasonMap's comfort score (89/100).
What is the weather like in Malindi in March?
In March, Malindi averages a daily high of 32.5°C and a low of 26.4°C, with about 34.5 mm of rain over roughly 8.6 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Malindi in March?
Malindi has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 33 in March.

Within 300 km: Mombasa's Green turtle nesting around 1 Mar – 31 Jul, and Lamu's Kaskazi, the calm season around 1 Dec – 15 Mar.