Nungwi 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.

Zanzibar forum threads describe January as the middle of the hot, dry season here - genuinely humid but with little rainfall, and posters rated January/February alongside July/August as some of the best windows for wind-driven water sports on the island. That said, regulars noted wind in Nungwi specifically picks up and drops off unpredictably through the year, making it impossible to count on rideable conditions every day even in a favorable month - Paje on the east coast was mentioned as generally more consistently windy than Nungwi. Kitesurfing infrastructure has expanded here too, with schools now operating directly out of Nungwi rather than only the traditional east-coast spots.

Forum posters describe September as excellent - falling within Zanzibar's dry season - with little to no rain and sea temperatures around 25-26C. Posters do note that early September's very dry conditions start giving way as the month progresses into the lighter 'short rains' that build through October-November, so the back half of September can see the occasional short, morning shower before clearing to a bright, sunny afternoon - nothing like the heavier 'long rains' that hit March-May. Since September counts as Zanzibar's cooler winter season, posters recommend packing a light sweater or pashmina for cooler evenings even though daytime beach conditions stay warm and comfortable.