Summer
Dec → Feb30 to 33°
nights 24°
- 22 rainy days · 205 mm
- 11.3 h of sun
- sea 31°
When is the best time to visit Madagascar?
- Jan31°not recommended
- Feb30°not recommended
- Mar31°fair
- Apr32°recommended
- May31°recommended
- Jun30°recommended
- Jul29°recommended
- Aug30°recommended
- Sep31°recommended
- Oct32°recommended
- Nov32°recommended
- Dec33°fair
RecommendedFairNot recommended· afternoon temperature
The weather in Madagascar, month by month
The table of records, month by month
| Month | High | Low | Sunshine | Rainfall | Rainy days | Sea | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 24° | 11.1 h | 282 mm | 25 d | 31° | |
| February | 30° | 24° | 10.6 h | 225 mm | 23 d | 31° | |
| March | 31° | 24° | 10.8 h | 164 mm | 17 d | 31° | |
| April | 32° | 23° | 11.2 h | 31 mm | 6 d | 30° | ✓ |
| May | 31° | 20° | 10.6 h | 3 mm | 1 d | 27° | ✓ |
| June | 30° | 19° | 10.1 h | 2 mm | 1 d | 25° | ✓ |
| July | 29° | 18° | 10.4 h | 1 mm | 0 d | 24° | ✓ |
| August | 30° | 19° | 11 h | 1 mm | 0 d | 25° | ✓ |
| September | 31° | 20° | 11.7 h | 3 mm | 1 d | 27° | ✓ |
| October | 32° | 22° | 12 h | 11 mm | 3 d | 29° | ✓ |
| November | 32° | 23° | 12.3 h | 33 mm | 6 d | 30° | ✓ |
| December | 33° | 24° | 12.3 h | 109 mm | 17 d | 32° |
The four seasons in Madagascar, in figures
What the 2015-2024 records (Avenue of the Baobabs) show, season by season, to compare at a glance instead of reading twelve rows of a table.
Autumn
Mar → May31 to 32°
nights 20 to 24°
- 8 rainy days · 66 mm
- 10.9 h of sun
- sea 29°
Winter
Jun → Aug29 to 30°
nights 18 to 19°
- 0 rainy days · 1 mm
- 10.5 h of sun
- sea 25°
Spring
Sep → Nov31 to 32°
nights 20 to 23°
- 3 rainy days · 16 mm
- 12 h of sun
- sea 29°
Book early for April to November
The timing is right, so it is right for everyone: in these months the best places to stay and the small-group tours go first. Here is where to start.
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What to do in Madagascar, month by month
EventsDonia FestivalMay to JuneFamadihanaJune to SeptemberHumpback whale migrationJuly to SeptemberDetails ↓
favourablewith compromisesunfavourable
Beach & swimming: good conditions all twelve months.
- Hiking: July
- Towns & culture: May, June, July, August, September
- Diving & snorkelling: January, February, March, April, May, June, August, September, October, November, December
Grid derived from the records (temperature, rainfall, sea), not from an opinion.
What's on in Madagascar, month by month?
What comes back every year, and when. Exact dates change from year to year, so check them before you book.
- May to JuneDonia Festival
Nosy Be hosts concerts, dugout canoe races and parades for a week, around Whitsun.
- June to SeptemberFamadihana
In the highlands, families take their dead out of the tomb, change the shrouds and dance with them.
- July to SeptemberHumpback whale migration
Humpback whales travel up the Sainte-Marie channel to give birth, and can be watched from boats out of Ambodifotatra.
Travelling off-peak
Month by month, in detail
January
Not recommended31°24° at night
- 282 mm · 25 d
- 11.1 h
- sea 31°
Low season, lower prices
February
Not recommended30°24° at night
- 225 mm · 23 d
- 10.6 h
- sea 31°
Low season, lower prices
March
Fair31°24° at night
- 164 mm · 17 d
- 10.8 h
- sea 31°
Low season, lower prices
April
Recommended32°23° at night
- 31 mm · 6 d
- 11.2 h
- sea 30°
Busy, without the crush
May
Recommended31°20° at night
- 3 mm · 1 d
- 10.6 h
- sea 27°
Busy, without the crush
June
Recommended30°19° at night
- 2 mm · 1 d
- 10.1 h
- sea 25°
Busy, without the crush
July
Recommended29°18° at night
- 1 mm · 0 d
- 10.4 h
- sea 24°
High season, book early
August
Recommended30°19° at night
- 1 mm · 0 d
- 11 h
- sea 25°
High season, book early
September
Recommended31°20° at night
- 3 mm · 1 d
- 11.7 h
- sea 27°
Busy, without the crush
October
Recommended32°22° at night
- 11 mm · 3 d
- 12 h
- sea 29°
Busy, without the crush
November
Recommended32°23° at night
- 33 mm · 6 d
- 12.3 h
- sea 30°
Busy, without the crush
December
Fair33°24° at night
- 109 mm · 17 d
- 12.3 h
- sea 32°
Quiet, then the holidays
Read the twelve months in detail
January. 31 °C in the afternoon and 24 °C at night. A very wet month, 282 mm of rain over 25 days. Plenty of sunshine: 11.1 h a day on average. The sea is at 31 °C, a proper swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
February. 30 °C in the afternoon and 24 °C at night. A very wet month, 225 mm of rain over 23 days. Plenty of sunshine: 10.6 h a day on average. The sea is at 31 °C, a proper swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
March. 31 °C in the afternoon and 24 °C at night. Frequent rain: 164 mm over 17 days. Plenty of sunshine: 10.8 h a day on average. The sea is at 31 °C, a proper swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
April. Real heat: 32 °C at the warmest of the day, 23 °C at night. Rain stays light: 31 mm over 6 days. Plenty of sunshine: 11.2 h a day on average. The sea is at 30 °C, a proper swim. Busy season, without the crush.
May. 31 °C in the afternoon and 20 °C at night. Hardly any rain (3 mm over 1 day). Plenty of sunshine: 10.6 h a day on average. The sea is at 27 °C, a proper swim. Busy season, without the crush.
June. 30 °C in the afternoon and 19 °C at night. Hardly any rain (2 mm over 1 day). Plenty of sunshine: 10.1 h a day on average. The sea is at 25 °C: pleasant swimming. Busy season, without the crush.
July. 29 °C in the afternoon and 18 °C at night. Hardly any rain (1 mm over 0 days). Plenty of sunshine: 10.4 h a day on average. The sea is at 24 °C: pleasant swimming. High season: book early.
August. 30 °C in the afternoon and 19 °C at night. Hardly any rain (1 mm over 0 days). Plenty of sunshine: 11 h a day on average. The sea is at 25 °C: pleasant swimming. High season: book early.
September. 31 °C in the afternoon and 20 °C at night. Hardly any rain (3 mm over 1 day). Plenty of sunshine: 11.7 h a day on average. The sea is at 27 °C, a proper swim. Busy season, without the crush.
October. Real heat: 32 °C at the warmest of the day, 22 °C at night. Hardly any rain (11 mm over 3 days). Plenty of sunshine: 12 h a day on average. The sea is at 29 °C, a proper swim. Busy season, without the crush.
November. Real heat: 32 °C at the warmest of the day, 23 °C at night. Rain stays light: 33 mm over 6 days. Plenty of sunshine: 12.3 h a day on average. The sea is at 30 °C, a proper swim. Busy season, without the crush.
December. Real heat: 33 °C at the warmest of the day, 24 °C at night. Frequent rain: 109 mm over 17 days. Plenty of sunshine: 12.3 h a day on average. The sea is at 32 °C, a proper swim. Quiet at the start of the month, then busier as the holidays approach.
Same season, other ideas
Their best time overlaps with this one: worth comparing before you book.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Madagascar?
April to November: over these months, recorded highs range from 29 to 32 °C, with 2 days of rain a month on average (2015-2024 records, Avenue of the Baobabs).
Which month should you avoid in Madagascar?
January: it is the wettest of the months to avoid, with 282 mm over 25 days of rain on average, according to 2015-2024 records at the reference point (Avenue of the Baobabs).
What is the hottest month in Madagascar?
December, with 33 °C on average in the afternoon and 24 °C at night. 2015-2024 records (Avenue of the Baobabs).
What is the coldest month in Madagascar?
July, with 29 °C at best during the day and 18 °C at night. 2015-2024 records (Avenue of the Baobabs).
What is the driest month in Madagascar?
July: 1 mm over 0 days of rain, against 282 mm in January, the wettest month.
Which month has the most sunshine in Madagascar?
November, with 12.3 h of sunshine a day on average. Note that this counts clear skies, not the length of the day.
When can you swim in Madagascar?
The water never drops below 22 °C: from 24 to 32 °C depending on the month (warmest in December), measured in 2023-2024 on the nearest coast (Avenue of the Baobabs).
When is the best time to hike in Madagascar?
July: highs between 12 and 29 °C and no more than 9 days of rain a month according to 2015-2024 records (Avenue of the Baobabs), the safest windows for walking.
When to go diving or snorkelling in Madagascar?
January, February, March, April, May, June, August, September, October, November, December: the sea is above 25 °C, warm enough to stay in a long time without a thick wetsuit. 2023-2024 records on the nearest coast (Avenue of the Baobabs).
Plan this trip
📒 The free printable Madagascar guide: itinerary, map, where to sleep→
🗓️ Best time to visit: all our destinations→
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Photos: Mégane SSu / Pexels · Arne Müseler / CC BY-SA 3.0 de (Wikimedia Commons) · Mark de Jong / Pexels · Herve Meftah / Pexels · Nothing Ahead / Pexels · Israel Samaniego / Pexels