Average weather, temperature, rainfall, when to go, what to pack
The climate of Mayotte is
tropical, with a hot, humid and rainy season from December to April, when the north-west monsoon prevails, and a relatively
cool, dry and sunny season from June to October, when the south-east trade winds prevail, while May and November can be considered as transitional months.
Mayotte is an archipelago consisting of two main islands, Grande-Terre (or Maore), and Petite-Terre (or Pamanzi), plus some smaller islets. The archipelago is an overseas department of France, and is located in the Indian Ocean, at a latitude of nearly 13 degrees south.
The average daily
temperature ranges between 27 °C (81 °F) in the warmest period (January-April), to 23/24 °C (73/75 °F) in the least warm period (June-September). From June to September, the temperature never exceeds 32 °C (90 °F), while from November to March it can sometimes reach 34/35 °C (93/95 °F), morevoer, high humidity in this period makes the heat uncomfortable.
Here are the average temperatures on the main island.
Mayotte - Average temperatures| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|
| Min (°C) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|
| Max (°C) | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 31 |
|---|
| Min (°F) | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 73 | 72 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 72 | 73 | 75 |
|---|
| Max (°F) | 86 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 82 | 81 | 79 | 79 | 82 | 84 | 88 | 88 |
|---|
The total annual
rainfall is not very high, and amounts to 1,200 millimetres (47 inches) on the small island of Pamanzi, and 1,400 mm (55 in) on the main island, most of which occur from October to May; the rainiest month is January, when the rains are definitely abundant.
Here is the average precipitation.
Mayotte - Average precipitation| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|
| Prec.(mm) | 310 | 245 | 190 | 125 | 70 | 35 | 40 | 30 | 30 | 65 | 90 | 185 | 1425 |
|---|
| Prec.(in) | 12.2 | 9.6 | 7.5 | 4.9 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 7.3 | 56.1 |
|---|
| Days | 19 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 115 |
|---|
Even during the rainy period, however, the amount of
sunshine is acceptable because the tropical rains occur mainly in the form of downpours or thunderstorms, which can be intense but do not last long. However, the sunniest period is the dry and cool one, as can be seen in the following table.
Mayotte - Sunshine| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|
| Hours | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
|---|
During the dry period, some brief thunderstorms are still possible, especially on the main island, where there are some small elevations: the highest point is Mount Benara, 600 meters (2,170 feet) high; in addition, the archipelago is protected by Madagascar, which is located at just 300 kilometres (185 miles) to the south-east.
The
sea in Mayotte is always warm enough to swim in, in fact the water temperature fluctuates from 26 °C (79 °F) in the July-September period, to 29 °C (84 °F) in the February-April period.
Mayotte - Sea temperature| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|
| Temp (°C) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 |
|---|
| Temp (°F) | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 82 | 81 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 81 | 82 | 82 |
|---|
Tropical cyclones
Mayotte is located in the path of
tropical cyclones, which can affect the islands from November to mid-May, with a greater chance from late December to mid-April.
When to go
The best time to visit Mayotte for a beach holiday goes from
June to October: the temperature is pleasantly warm, the sun frequently shines and the rains are rare.
What to pack
In winter (June to August): light clothes, a sweatshirt for the evening, a scarf for the breeze. When going to the reef, you can bring snorkeling equipment, including water shoes or rubber-soled shoes.
In summer (December to February): tropics-friendly, loose fitting clothing, light shirts and pants of natural fibres (cotton, linen), a light sweatshirt for the evening, a light raincoat or umbrella for the rain showers.