Could anyone give me an idea of weather/temperature in Tanzania in August and September? I will be travelling from Dar to Mbeya and realise there will be differences in temperature between these places- I know Mbeya will be cooler, but how cool?! I'm in the Uk, so probably what is considered cool for Tanzania will be hot weather for me!
Any help would be great, I need to know what kind of clothes to pack...
A x
amaranta3
1
cspob
Hi,
The main difference you'll experience moving towards Mbeya from Dar is that it will definetly cooler in the evenings. As you move further westwards there is a much higher humidity than Dar which is hot and sticky. There is a more intense heat on the East coast, with a wetter climate towards Moshi. Since the country is equatorial, the sun sets quite quickly around 6pm. You'll experience fewer mosquitoes as you move towards Mbeya [they don't like the cold], but find lots in Dar and along the coast. I'm from Ireland and comparatively I found the heat bearable but I'm used to travelling, certainly not the hottest I've encountered and the cold on par with back home. If you go towards Kilimajaro you may encounter light to very heavy rain from time to time which is usually very refreshing, but the Ngorogoro Crater and Serengeti can sometimes have a very dry heat. Have fun! Pack for the sun but I'd recommend bringing a light raincoat and hoody for the cold nights and rain. I was always glad of mine! Have a great trip.
2
amaranta3
Thanks cspob that was really helpful, I've been utterly confused by all the websites saying different things about the weather...makes more sense now!
3
stefo
I found Ngorongoro Crater really cold at night in August - and that's about the same altitude as Mbeya, isn't it? What I mean by cold is at least fleece and long trousers cold. Didn't expererience much rain in those months, except for some warm drizzle in Zanzibar, but of course that might be a little bit different each year.
4
orion_mike
Amara - most of the advice offerred is correct. On the coast - Zanzibar or Dar it is very warm to hot (30C / 86 F most of the year) - and you will need mosquitoe protection (long sleeves and trousers at night). Moshi and Arusha are around 1300 metres so the nights can be a bit cooler - especially in the dry seasons. I was in NGO in late Aug and it get quite cold (again especially in the dry seasons). You should include a fleece and a good quality light weight rain coat and lost of 30+ sun screen. Have fun.Orion_Mike
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