San Salvador weather in September

In September, San Salvador sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 303 mm of rain across 28.4 wet days and about 12.1 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 1st-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 4% of the time in September, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 18 min at the start of September to 11 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is San Salvador's 12th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see San Salvador's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
11th warmest
Overnight low
22°
7th coldest
Rainfall
303 mm
28.4 wet days
Daylight
12 h 06 min
5:49 AM – 5:53 PM
Cloud cover
82%
12th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
4.91 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.8
out of 10

San Salvador is capital of El Salvador.

Air quality
High
PM2.5 29 µg/m³ · 2018
Density
7,280/km²
people per km²
Founded
1525

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 San Salvador reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 1°C cooler than August and on par with October.

20°25°30°35°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13022
23022
33022
43022
53022
63022
73022
83022
93022
103022
113022
123022
133022
143022
153022
163022
173022
183022
193022
203022
212922
222922
232922
242922
252922
262921
272921
282921
292921
302921

How September really feels in San Salvador

Once humidity and wind are folded in, September averages 27 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
27
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.

San Salvador weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 11th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan32° / 20°20.611.35.5
Feb33° / 20°20.511.54.9
Mar33° / 21°102.911.94.3
Apr33° / 22°5011.312.33.7
May31° / 22°22224.912.62.9
Jun30° / 22°24826.312.82.9
Jul31° / 22°18622.312.73.1
Aug31° / 22°2302612.52.9
Sep30° / 22°30328.412.12.8
Oct29° / 21°23223.311.73.6
Nov31° / 20°457.611.45.1
Dec31° / 20°71.411.25.6

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 4% of the time in September, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 85%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11882
21783
31684
41684
51684
61684
71783
81684
91684
101585
111585
121585
131585
141585
151585
161486
171486
181486
191486
201486
211387
221387
231387
241387
251387
261486
271387
281387
291486
301486

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

San Salvador gets around 303 mm of rain over 28.4 wet days in September, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 94% and peaks near 96% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
192
292
392
493
593
693
793
893
993
1093
1193
1293
1393
1493
1593
1694
1794
1894
1995
2095
2195
2296
2396
2496
2596
2696
2795
2895
2994
3094

Humidity in September

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, September lands in the oppressive band about 65% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
104456
204456
304357
404357
504357
604258
704258
804159
904159
1004060
1103961
1203862
1303763
1403664
1503565
1603367
1703268
1803169
1903070
2002971
2102872
2202872
2302872
2402872
2502971
2603070
2703169
2813168
2913267
3013465

Wind in September

Winds average 4 km/h in September, the calmest month.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 4 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 18 min at the start of September to 11 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 24 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 5:48 AM to 5:49 AM, and sunset from 6:04 PM to 5:43 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.35:486:04
212.35:486:04
312.25:486:03
412.25:496:02
512.25:496:02
612.25:496:01
712.25:496:00
812.25:495:59
912.25:495:59
1012.25:495:58
1112.15:495:57
1212.15:495:56
1312.15:495:56
1412.15:495:55
1512.15:495:54
1612.15:495:53
1712.15:495:53
1812.05:495:52
1912.05:495:51
2012.05:495:50
2112.05:495:50
2212.05:495:49
2312.05:495:48
2412.05:495:47
2512.05:495:46
2611.95:495:46
2711.95:495:45
2811.95:495:44
2911.95:495:44
3011.95:495:43

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 4.91 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.73 kWh/m² to a high of 6.23 kWh/m² in March across the year — September's 4.91 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.3Bright
35.3Bright
45.2Bright
55.2Bright
65.2Bright
75.2Bright
85.2Bright
95.1Bright
105.1Bright
115.1Bright
125.1Bright
135.0Bright
145.0Bright
155.0Bright
164.9Bright
174.9Bright
184.9Bright
194.8Bright
204.8Bright
214.8Bright
224.7Bright
234.7Bright
244.7Bright
254.7Bright
264.6Bright
274.6Bright
284.6Bright
294.6Bright
304.6Bright
Planning a trip in September

Hazard calendar for San Salvador

In seasonPeak

In September, San Salvador sits inside its atlantic hurricane and monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

San Salvador sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

San Salvador's monsoon runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is September a good time to visit San Salvador?

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

2.8
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
3.8
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

September is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in San Salvador.

What to pack for San Salvador in September

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

In September, San Salvador sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 22°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 28 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near San Salvador in September

The nearest coast averages about 30°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 36 km away) is warmest in August at about 30°C and coldest in January near 28°C.

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

26°28°30°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Tropical
Feb28Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May30Tropical
Jun30Tropical
Jul30Tropical
Aug30Tropical
Sep30Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov29Tropical
Dec29Tropical

UV index in San Salvador 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 San Salvador peaks around March 21 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 12 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 highMar 21UV 13Dec 12UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan9Very high
Feb13Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov9Very high
Dec9Very high

Air quality in San Salvador 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 San Salvador is worst in April — around 38 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 1.6× the cleanest month (September, 23 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to San Salvador's WHO annual average of 29 µg/m³.

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateApr 1937 µg/m³Sep 1023 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan30Moderate
Feb31Moderate
Mar31Moderate
Apr38Poor
May35Poor
Jun24Moderate
Jul26Moderate
Aug23Moderate
Sep23Moderate
Oct26Moderate
Nov31Moderate
Dec31Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is San Salvador?

San Salvador sits at 13.7°N, 89.2°W, 653 m above sea level, in El Salvador. The nearest listed city is San Marcos, 3.0 km away.

Topography around San Salvador

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around San Salvador has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 599 m around an average of 713 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,784 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,684 m.

The land around San Salvador is covered by artificial surfaces (62%) and trees (34%) within 3 km, trees (71%) within 16 km, and trees (47%), water (24%) and grassland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
599 m
16 km
1,784 m
80 km
2,684 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswatermangroves
September weather nearby: San Marcos 3.0 km · Mejicanos 4.0 km · Delgado 4.0 km · Cuscatancingo 4.0 km · Ayutuxtepeque 5.0 km · Soyapango 6.0 km · Antiguo Cuscatlán 8.0 km · Ilopango 9.0 km

El Salvador travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
115 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 41% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,767
2025
Happiness
6.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
7.9
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
20.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 523
Religion
Roman Catholic 44%Protestant 40%none 16%

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 San Salvador (13.6893°, -89.1872°, elevation 653 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. 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).