Lubumbashi weather in September

In September, Lubumbashi sees average daytime highs of 31°C and overnight lows near 17°C, with 3 mm of rain across 0.7 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 30°C in the first days to 32°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 66% of the time in September, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 48 min at the start of September to 12 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is Lubumbashi's 4th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Lubumbashi's year-round climate.

Daytime high
31°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
17°
6th coldest
Rainfall
3 mm
0.7 wet days
Daylight
11 h 54 min
6:06 AM – 6:02 PM
Cloud cover
30%
4th clearest
Wind
11 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
6.94 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.0
out of 10

Lubumbashi is second largest city in Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Founded
1910

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 30°C in the first days to 32°C by the end.

A typical September day in Lubumbashi reaches about 31°C in the afternoon and slips back to 17°C overnight — a 14°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°C and 33°C. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 3°C warmer than August and about 1°C cooler than October.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13015
23015
33016
43016
53016
63016
73016
83016
93016
103016
113016
123117
133117
143117
153117
163117
173117
183117
193117
203118
213118
223118
233118
243218
253218
263218
273218
283218
293218
303218

Lubumbashi weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 2nd-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 18°25828.412.63.7
Feb26° / 18°21324.412.43.9
Mar26° / 17°17123.212.14.6
Apr27° / 16°367.111.77.0
May27° / 15°20.611.58.4
Jun26° / 12°0011.39.1
Jul25° / 12°0011.49.2
Aug28° / 14°0011.68.1
Sep31° / 17°30.711.96.0
Oct32° / 19°255.212.34.8
Nov29° / 18°13019.412.54.2
Dec26° / 18°22627.612.73.8

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 66% of the time in September.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 17%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18812
28812
38812
48713
58614
68614
78515
88515
98515
108515
118416
128317
138317
148317
158317
168317
178317
188317
198317
208218
218218
228218
238020
248020
258020
267921
277822
287822
297723
307624

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Lubumbashi gets around 3 mm of rain over 0.7 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 3% and peaks near 7% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
10
20
30
41
51
61
71
81
91
102
112
122
132
142
152
162
172
182
193
203
213
223
234
244
255
265
275
286
296
307

Humidity in September

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, September lands in the dry band about 95% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19910
29910
39910
49910
59910
69820
79820
89820
99730
109730
119631
129631
139541
149541
159541
169541
179541
189541
199451
209451
219451
229451
239262
249262
259262
269073
279073
289073
298884
308884

Wind in September

Winds average 11 km/h in September, the windiest month of the year.

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
111calm
211calm
311calm
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
911calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1811calm
1911calm
2011calm
2111calm
2211calm
2311calm
2411calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 48 min at the start of September to 12 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 18 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 6:17 AM to 5:57 AM, and sunset from 6:03 PM to 6:02 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.86:176:03
211.86:166:03
311.86:156:03
411.86:156:03
511.86:146:03
611.86:136:03
711.86:136:03
811.86:126:03
911.96:116:03
1011.96:116:03
1111.96:106:03
1211.96:096:03
1311.96:086:03
1411.96:086:03
1511.96:076:03
1611.96:066:02
1711.96:066:02
1812.06:056:02
1912.06:046:02
2012.06:046:02
2112.06:036:02
2212.06:026:02
2312.06:016:02
2412.06:016:02
2512.06:006:02
2612.05:596:02
2712.15:596:02
2812.15:586:02
2912.15:576:02
3012.15:576:02

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 6.94 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.1 kWh/m² to a high of 6.94 kWh/m² in September across the year — September's 6.94 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.7Intense
26.7Intense
36.7Intense
46.8Intense
56.8Intense
66.8Intense
76.8Intense
86.8Intense
96.8Intense
106.8Intense
116.8Intense
126.9Intense
136.9Intense
146.9Intense
156.9Intense
166.9Intense
176.9Intense
187.0Intense
197.0Intense
207.0Intense
217.0Intense
227.0Intense
237.0Intense
247.0Intense
257.0Intense
267.0Intense
277.0Intense
287.0Intense
297.0Intense
307.0Intense
Planning a trip in September

Hazard calendar for Lubumbashi

In seasonPeak

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

Lubumbashi's monsoon runs November–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is September a good time to visit Lubumbashi?

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

6.0
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
8.6
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Lubumbashi in September

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

In September, Lubumbashi sees daytime highs around 31°C and nights near 17°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Lubumbashi in September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Lubumbashi peaks around March 12 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeMar 12UV 16Jun 18UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May10Extreme
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug11Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Lubumbashi 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 Lubumbashi is worst in August — around 74 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 5.5× the cleanest month (April, 14 µg/m³).

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

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorUnhealthyPoorModerateAug 1772 µg/m³Apr 1914 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb18Moderate
Mar16Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May15Moderate
Jun32Moderate
Jul55Unhealthy
Aug74Unhealthy
Sep57Unhealthy
Oct37Poor
Nov20Moderate
Dec15Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Lubumbashi?

Lubumbashi sits at 11.7°S, 27.5°E, 1,260 m above sea level, in Democratic Republic of the Congo. The nearest listed city is Kipushi, 27 km away.

KansanshiChambishiMokamboMufulira

Topography around Lubumbashi

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Lubumbashi has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 85 m around an average of 1,240 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 239 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 431 m.

The land around Lubumbashi is covered by artificial surfaces (81%) within 3 km, grassland (31%) and artificial surfaces (31%) within 16 km, and trees (54%) and grassland (31%) within 80 km.

3 km
85 m
16 km
239 m
80 km
431 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
September weather nearby: Kipushi 27 km · Chililabombwe 87 km · Chingola 106 km · Likasi 110 km · Kansanshi 124 km · Chambishi 125 km · Mokambo 127 km · Mufulira 129 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 Lubumbashi (-11.6609°, 27.4794°, elevation 1,260 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).