Kinshasa weather in September

In September, Kinshasa sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 16 mm of rain across 5 wet days and about 12 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in September, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 54 min at the start of September to 12 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is Kinshasa's 5th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kinshasa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
4th warmest
Overnight low
22°
4th coldest
Rainfall
16 mm
5 wet days
Daylight
12 hours
5:54 AM – 5:52 PM
Cloud cover
73%
5th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
4.71 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.1
out of 10

Kinshasa is capital and the largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo having the status of a province.

Density
1,606/km²
people per km²
Founded
1881

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

Temperature in September

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month.

A typical September day in Kinshasa reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°C and 33°C. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 1°C warmer than August and on par with October.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13021
23021
33021
43021
53021
63021
73021
83021
93021
103021
113021
123021
133022
143022
153022
163022
173022
183022
193022
203122
213122
223122
233122
243122
253122
263122
273122
283122
293122
303122

How September really feels in Kinshasa

Once humidity and wind are folded in, September averages 14 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
14
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in September is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Kinshasa weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 4th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 23°11620.912.23.7
Feb30° / 23°10215.712.13.8
Mar31° / 23°10917.9123.5
Apr31° / 23°14021.311.93.2
May30° / 23°7314.511.84.4
Jun29° / 21°41.211.86.6
Jul28° / 20°10.211.86.9
Aug29° / 20°5111.96.3
Sep30° / 22°165125.1
Oct30° / 22°11218.712.13.8
Nov29° / 22°1832512.23.3
Dec29° / 22°15624.912.23.5

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in September.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 74%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12080
22080
32080
42080
52080
62080
72179
82278
92278
102278
112377
122377
132377
142575
152575
162575
172674
182674
192872
202872
212872
222971
232971
243070
253070
263169
273268
283367
293466
303466

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Kinshasa gets around 16 mm of rain over 5 wet days in September. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 17% and peaks near 28% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
17
27
38
48
59
610
711
812
912
1013
1114
1215
1316
1417
1518
1618
1719
1819
1920
2021
2121
2222
2322
2423
2523
2624
2725
2826
2927
3028

Humidity in September

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, September lands in the muggy band about 82% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 85% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
136640
235650
333670
431690
529710
627730
725750
823770
921790
1019810
1117821
1216831
1314851
1413861
1511881
1610882
179892
189892
198893
207903
217903
226904
236904
246895
255896
265896
274897
284879
2948610
3038512

Wind in September

Winds average 7 km/h in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 54 min at the start of September to 12 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 6 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 6:01 AM to 5:47 AM, and sunset from 5:56 PM to 5:49 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.96:015:56
211.96:015:56
311.96:005:56
411.96:005:55
511.95:595:55
611.95:595:55
711.95:585:55
811.95:585:54
911.95:575:54
1012.05:575:54
1112.05:565:54
1212.05:565:53
1312.05:555:53
1412.05:555:53
1512.05:545:53
1612.05:545:52
1712.05:535:52
1812.05:535:52
1912.05:525:52
2012.05:525:51
2112.05:515:51
2212.05:515:51
2312.05:505:51
2412.05:505:50
2512.05:495:50
2612.05:495:50
2712.05:485:50
2812.05:485:49
2912.05:485:49
3012.05:475:49

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 4.71 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.38 kWh/m² to a high of 5.21 kWh/m² in March across the year — September's 4.71 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.5Bright
24.5Bright
34.5Bright
44.5Bright
54.5Bright
64.6Bright
74.6Bright
84.6Bright
94.6Bright
104.6Bright
114.7Bright
124.7Bright
134.7Bright
144.7Bright
154.7Bright
164.7Bright
174.8Bright
184.8Bright
194.8Bright
204.8Bright
214.8Bright
224.8Bright
234.8Bright
244.8Bright
254.8Bright
264.8Bright
274.8Bright
284.9Bright
294.9Bright
304.9Bright
Planning a trip in September

Hazard calendar for Kinshasa

In seasonPeak

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

Kinshasa's rainy season runs October–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is September a good time to visit Kinshasa?

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

5.1
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
7.1
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

September is a reasonable time to visit Kinshasa for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Kinshasa in September

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

In September, Kinshasa sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 22°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection. About 5 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Kinshasa in September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kinshasa peaks around March 17 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near August 11 at about 6 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighExtremeMar 17UV 15Aug 11UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May9Very high
Jun7High
Jul7High
Aug6High
Sep10Very high
Oct13Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec10Very high

Air quality in Kinshasa in September

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where September falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Kinshasa is worst in June — around 60 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 1.8× the cleanest month (January, 33 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorUnhealthyPoorModerateJun 2259 µg/m³Jan 1433 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan33Moderate
Feb36Poor
Mar36Poor
Apr39Poor
May53Poor
Jun60Unhealthy
Jul59Unhealthy
Aug55Poor
Sep58Unhealthy
Oct45Poor
Nov33Moderate
Dec34Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Kinshasa?

Kinshasa sits at 4.3°S, 15.3°E, 281 m above sea level, in Democratic Republic of the Congo. The nearest listed city is Brazzaville, 8.0 km away.

MouyondziLoutétéKimpese

Topography around Kinshasa

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kinshasa has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 30 m around an average of 284 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 346 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 578 m.

The land around Kinshasa is covered by artificial surfaces (86%) within 3 km, artificial surfaces (39%) within 16 km, and grassland (55%) and trees (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
30 m
16 km
346 m
80 km
578 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
September weather nearby: Brazzaville 8.0 km · Masina 11 km · Kasangulu 33 km · Inkisi 94 km · Mbanza-Ngungu 115 km · Mouyondzi 158 km · Loutété 162 km · Kimpese 168 km

Democratic Republic of the Congo travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / E
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 42% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$807
2025
Happiness
3.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
12%
of population, 2024
Road deaths
34.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 400

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 Kinshasa (-4.3276°, 15.3136°, elevation 281 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. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).