Nkhata Bay weather in September

In September, Nkhata Bay sees average daytime highs of 25°C and overnight lows near 21°C, with 16 mm of rain across 3.5 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 24°C in the first days to 26°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 87% of the time in September, and the air most often feels humid.

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 Nkhata Bay's 1st-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Nkhata Bay's year-round climate.

Daytime high
25°
6th warmest
Overnight low
21°
6th coldest
Rainfall
16 mm
3.5 wet days
Daylight
11 h 54 min
5:39 AM – 5:35 PM
Cloud cover
19%
1st clearest
Wind
9 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
6.78 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.6
out of 10

Nkhata Bay is city in Malawi.

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 24°C in the first days to 26°C by the end.

A typical September day in Nkhata Bay reaches about 25°C in the afternoon and slips back to 21°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 3°C warmer than August and about 2°C cooler than October.

15°20°25°30°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12420
22420
32420
42421
52421
62421
72521
82521
92521
102521
112521
122521
132521
142521
152521
162522
172622
182622
192622
202622
212622
222622
232622
242622
252622
262622
272622
282622
292622
302622

Nkhata Bay weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 6th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 23°41429.512.63.6
Feb26° / 23°3522612.43.7
Mar25° / 22°45229.912.13.7
Apr25° / 21°32025.511.74.7
May23° / 20°8214.111.56.7
Jun22° / 19°399.511.37.2
Jul21° / 18°308.611.47.4
Aug23° / 19°225.411.68.3
Sep25° / 21°163.511.98.6
Oct27° / 23°769.112.37.3
Nov28° / 23°22716.912.55.6
Dec26° / 22°43428.512.73.9

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 87% of the time in September, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 7% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 6%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1955
2955
3955
4955
5955
6955
7955
8955
9955
10955
11955
12955
13955
14946
15946
16946
17946
18946
19946
20937
21937
22937
23928
24928
25928
26928
27928
28919
29919
30919

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Nkhata Bay gets around 16 mm of rain over 3.5 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 13% and peaks near 17% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
113
213
313
413
513
612
713
813
913
1013
1113
1213
1312
1412
1512
1612
1712
1812
1912
2012
2112
2212
2312
2412
2513
2613
2714
2815
2916
3017

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 60% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 6% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1155431
2154441
3153451
4151462
5150472
6149482
7147502
8146503
9144523
10142543
11141544
12039574
13037585
14036595
15034615
16032626
17031636
18029656
19028666
20026677
21024697
22023707
23022708
24020728
25019729
260187210
270177310
280167311
290157312
300147313

Wind in September

Winds average 9 km/h in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm

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 5:49 AM to 5:29 AM, and sunset from 5:36 PM to 5:35 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.85:495:36
211.85:495:36
311.85:485:36
411.85:475:36
511.85:475:36
611.85:465:36
711.85:455:36
811.85:455:36
911.95:445:36
1011.95:435:36
1111.95:435:35
1211.95:425:35
1311.95:415:35
1411.95:405:35
1511.95:405:35
1611.95:395:35
1711.95:385:35
1812.05:385:35
1912.05:375:35
2012.05:365:35
2112.05:365:35
2212.05:355:35
2312.05:345:35
2412.05:335:35
2512.05:335:35
2612.05:325:35
2712.15:315:35
2812.15:315:35
2912.15:305:35
3012.15:295:35

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 6.78 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.97 kWh/m² to a high of 7.19 kWh/m² in October across the year — September's 6.78 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.4Intense
26.4Intense
36.4Intense
46.4Intense
56.5Intense
66.5Intense
76.5Intense
86.6Intense
96.6Intense
106.6Intense
116.6Intense
126.7Intense
136.7Intense
146.7Intense
156.8Intense
166.8Intense
176.8Intense
186.8Intense
196.9Intense
206.9Intense
216.9Intense
226.9Intense
237.0Intense
247.0Intense
257.0Intense
267.0Intense
277.0Intense
287.0Intense
297.1Intense
307.1Intense
Planning a trip in September

Hazard calendar for Nkhata Bay

In seasonPeak

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

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

Nkhata Bay's monsoon runs November–April, 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 Nkhata Bay?

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

8.6
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
7.8
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Nkhata Bay in September

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

In September, Nkhata Bay sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 21°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes. About 4 days see rain.

sun protectionlight clothes

UV index in Nkhata Bay 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 Nkhata Bay peaks around February 16 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 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 highExtremeFeb 16UV 16Jun 17UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May10Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep11Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Nkhata Bay 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 Nkhata Bay is worst in September — around 26 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.7× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1926 µg/m³May 177 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb10Good
Mar9Good
Apr8Good
May7Good
Jun8Good
Jul11Good
Aug20Moderate
Sep26Moderate
Oct23Moderate
Nov13Moderate
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Nkhata Bay?

Nkhata Bay sits at 11.6°S, 34.3°E, 547 m above sea level, in Malawi. The nearest listed city is Mzuzu, 33 km away.

RumphiMzimbaTingiMbingaMatiriKigonseraLundazi

Topography around Nkhata Bay

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Nkhata Bay has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 263 m around an average of 560 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 809 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,549 m.

The land around Nkhata Bay is covered by trees (37%), shrubs (35%) and water (23%) within 3 km, water (47%) and trees (26%) within 16 km, and water (52%) and trees (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
263 m
16 km
809 m
80 km
1,549 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
September weather nearby: Mzuzu 33 km · Rumphi 81 km · Mzimba 82 km · Tingi 88 km · Mbinga 109 km · Matiri 116 km · Kigonsera 122 km · Lundazi 143 km

Malawi travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 53% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$672
2025
Happiness
3.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
18%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.8
per 100k, 2012
Road deaths
33.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 465
Religion
Protestant 34%other Christian 27%Roman Catholic 17%Muslim 14%

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 Nkhata Bay (-11.6066°, 34.2907°, elevation 547 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). 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).