Townsville weather in September

In September, Townsville sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 10 mm of rain across 3.3 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 8th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 27°C in the first days to 28°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 57% of the time in September, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of September to 12 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is Townsville's 1st-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Townsville's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
8th warmest
Overnight low
18°
4th coldest
Rainfall
10 mm
3.3 wet days
Daylight
11 h 54 min
6:10 AM – 6:04 PM
Cloud cover
35%
1st clearest
Wind
10 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.82 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.6
out of 10

Townsville is city in Queensland, Australia.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 7 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
1,436/km²
people per km²
Founded
1865

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in September

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 27°C in the first days to 28°C by the end.

A typical September day in Townsville reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 18°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 2°C warmer than August and about 1°C cooler than October.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12717
22717
32718
42718
52718
62718
72718
82718
92718
102718
112818
122818
132818
142818
152818
162818
172818
182818
192818
202819
212819
222819
232819
242819
252819
262819
272819
282819
292920
302920

How September really feels in Townsville

Once humidity and wind are folded in, September averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

September sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Townsville weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 8th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan31° / 25°20816.6133.7
Feb31° / 25°21817.612.73.6
Mar30° / 23°12712.712.14.5
Apr29° / 21°496.911.65.9
May27° / 19°294.911.17.4
Jun25° / 16°203.810.98.1
Jul25° / 15°162.7118.4
Aug26° / 16°152.211.38.3
Sep28° / 18°103.311.97.6
Oct29° / 21°225.112.46.3
Nov30° / 23°47812.95.2
Dec31° / 24°8812.613.14.2

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 57% of the time in September, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 23% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 20%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17426
27327
37327
47426
57525
67525
77525
87624
97624
107822
117822
127822
138020
148020
158020
168119
178218
188218
198317
208317
218416
228416
238416
248416
258416
268416
278515
288515
298515
308515

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Townsville gets around 10 mm of rain over 3.3 wet days in September, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 11% and peaks near 14% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
113
214
314
414
513
613
713
812
912
1011
1111
1210
1310
149
159
169
179
189
199
209
219
2210
2310
2410
2511
2611
2712
2812
2912
3012

Humidity in September

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of September feels humid — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, September lands in the humid band about 36% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 24% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1163431182
2153431182
3153431182
4153431192
5153330192
6153330192
7153330193
8153330192
9153330192
10153331192
11153331192
12153232192
13143233192
14143134192
15133135192
16133036192
17122937202
18112838202
19112839212
20102740222
2192641222
2282541232
2382442242
2472342253
2562342263
2652243273
2752143283
2852142294
2942042304
3042042304

Wind in September

Winds average 10 km/h in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 11 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2711calm
2811calm
2911calm
3011calm

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min at the start of September to 12 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 36 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 6:24 AM to 5:57 AM, and sunset from 6:01 PM to 6:07 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.66:246:01
211.66:236:01
311.76:226:01
411.76:216:02
511.76:206:02
611.76:206:02
711.76:196:02
811.76:186:02
911.86:176:03
1011.86:166:03
1111.86:156:03
1211.86:146:03
1311.86:136:03
1411.96:126:03
1511.96:116:04
1611.96:106:04
1711.96:096:04
1811.96:086:04
1911.96:086:04
2012.06:076:05
2112.06:066:05
2212.06:056:05
2312.06:046:05
2412.06:036:05
2512.16:026:06
2612.16:016:06
2712.16:006:06
2812.15:596:06
2912.15:586:07
3012.25:576:07

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 5.82 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.8 kWh/m² to a high of 6.5 kWh/m² in November across the year — September's 5.82 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.1Bright
25.2Bright
35.2Bright
45.3Bright
55.3Bright
65.4Bright
75.4Bright
85.5Bright
95.5Bright
105.6Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.8Bright
145.8Bright
155.8Bright
165.9Bright
175.9Bright
186.0Bright
196.0Bright
206.0Intense
216.0Intense
226.1Intense
236.1Intense
246.1Intense
256.1Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
Planning a trip in September

Hazard calendar for Townsville

In seasonPeak

None of Townsville's seasonal hazards are active in September. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Townsville sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

Townsville's monsoon runs January–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

Cyclone
Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is September a good time to visit Townsville?

Our two travel scores rate September for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

7.6
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
8.2
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

September is one of the better times to visit Townsville for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Townsville in September

From September's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In September, Townsville sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 18°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection. About 3 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Townsville in September

The nearest coast averages about 24°C in September — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 17 km away) is warmest in February at about 29°C and coldest in July near 22°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar28Tropical
Apr27Warm
May25Warm
Jun23Refreshing
Jul22Refreshing
Aug23Refreshing
Sep24Warm
Oct26Warm
Nov27Warm
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Townsville in September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Townsville peaks around February 9 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 7 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highVery highExtremeFeb 9UV 16Jun 20UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May8Very high
Jun7High
Jul7Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep11Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Townsville?

Townsville sits at 19.3°S, 146.8°E, 15 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Kirwan, 9.0 km away.

CairnsMackayPort DouglasRockhamptonGladstoneMount Isa

Topography around Townsville

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Townsville.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Townsville has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 270 m around an average of 14 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 582 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,212 m.

The land around Townsville is covered by artificial surfaces (51%) within 3 km, water (35%), trees (27%) and grassland (20%) within 16 km, and water (39%) and trees (37%) within 80 km.

3 km
270 m
16 km
582 m
80 km
1,212 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
September weather nearby: Kirwan 9.0 km · Airlie Beach 229 km · Cairns 283 km · Mackay 324 km · Port Douglas 340 km · Rockhampton 597 km · Gladstone 687 km · Mount Isa 781 km

Australia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type I
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 90% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$65,130
2025
Happiness
6.9 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
0.9
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
4.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
none 38%Roman Catholic 20%Protestant 18%other Christian 4%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Townsville (-19.2664°, 146.8057°, elevation 15 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).