Tanzania weather in May
Tanzania in May averages 23°C (73°F), 3 mm of rain and 8.8 hours of sun a day. It is one of the driest months of the year here.
Of the twelve months in Tanzania, May is the fourth coldest, the sixth driest and the sixth dullest.
- Average temp
- 23°C (73°F)
17–28°C · 63–83°F
- Rainfall
- 3 mm
Not much rain
- Sunshine
- 8.8 h
hours per day
What is Tanzania like in May?
Daytime
Days are warm, typically in the mid-20s°C or above.
Rain
Rain is usually light.
Evening
Evenings are cooler. A layer helps after sunset.
What should I pack for Tanzania in May?
High-factor sun cream
With 8.8 hours of sun a day, burn time is short even in shade.
Sunglasses and a brimmed hat
Midday glare is the part people underpack for, not the heat itself.
Loose cotton or linen
Synthetics stop working once you are sweating through them all day.
A refillable water bottle
Daily highs this warm need roughly double the water a temperate day does.
A layer for the evening
The day swings about 11°C between its low and its high.
Comfortable walking shoes you can rinse
Dry warm weather is walking weather, and dust gets into everything.
May compared with April and June
May in Tanzania is 0.7°C cooler than April and 44 mm drier than it, which averages 23°C (74°F).
May in Tanzania is 1.3°C warmer than June and about as wet as it, which averages 21°C (71°F).
Daylight in Tanzania in May
On 15 May the sun is up for 11 hours 49 minutes in Tanzania, rising about 06:42 and setting about 18:31 local time.
That is 41 minutes short of December, the longest-lit month here.
Travel guides for Tanzania
What to read before you book.
Tanzania weather by month
TemperatureRainfall
How May compares with the rest of the year
May is highlighted. Every other month links to its own page.
| Month | Average | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|
| January | 25°C / 76°F | 152 mm |
| February | 25°C / 76°F | 124 mm |
| March | 24°C / 76°F | 106 mm |
| April | 23°C / 74°F | 47 mm |
| May | 23°C / 73°F | 3 mm |
| June | 21°C / 71°F | 0 mm |
| July | 21°C / 69°F | 0 mm |
| August | 22°C / 71°F | 0 mm |
| September | 23°C / 73°F | 0 mm |
| October | 24°C / 76°F | 3 mm |
| November | 25°C / 78°F | 28 mm |
| December | 25°C / 77°F | 150 mm |
Check another month
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FAQs about Tanzania in May
May climate averages for Tanzania, 1991–2020.
Tanzania averages 23°C (73°F) in May, ranging from about 17°C (63°F) at night to 28°C (83°F) in the afternoon. That is a 1991–2020 average, so an individual week can run either side of it.
Barely. May sees only about 3 mm, so rain is unlikely to affect your plans.
Yes. May averages 23°C (73°F) against 21°C (71°F) in June — 1.3°C warmer.
May is 0.7°C cooler than April, and 44 mm drier.
Yes. May falls inside the most comfortable stretch of the year here, May to October, on temperature and rainfall together.
About 8.8 hours of sun a day on the 1991–2020 average — among the brighter months anywhere.
This page does not show today's weather. It is a 1991–2020 climate normal from Meteostat — a long-run average of what May is usually like, which is what you want when booking months ahead. For today or the coming week, check a live forecast.
About 11 hours 49 minutes of daylight in mid-May, against 12 hours 30 minutes in December and 11 hours 45 minutes in June.
On 15 May, sunrise is about 06:42 and sunset about 18:31 local time. Both shift across the month.
