Queenstown weather in September

In September, Queenstown sees average daytime highs of 5°C and overnight lows near -1°C, with 125 mm of precipitation across 13.7 wet days and about 11.7 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 4°C in the first days to 7°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 10% of the time in September, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 54 min at the start of September to 12 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is Queenstown's 8th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Queenstown's year-round climate.

Daytime high
9th warmest
Overnight low
-1°
4th coldest
Precipitation
125 mm
13.7 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
7:49 AM – 7:30 PM
Cloud cover
74%
8th clearest
Wind
5 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
3.71 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.2
out of 10

Queenstown is resort town in Otago Region, New Zealand.

Founded
1863

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 4°C in the first days to 7°C by the end.

A typical September day in Queenstown reaches about 5°C in the afternoon and slips back to -1°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 2°C and 9°C. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 3°C warmer than August and about 3°C cooler than October.

-10°-5°10°15°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
14-2
24-2
34-1
44-1
54-1
64-1
74-1
85-1
95-1
105-1
115-1
125-1
135-1
145-1
155-1
165-1
176-1
186-1
196-1
206-1
216-1
226-1
236-1
246-1
2560
2670
2770
2870
2970
3070

How September really feels in Queenstown

Once humidity and wind are folded in, September averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 30 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
30
wind chill below the day's low

The story in September is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Queenstown weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 9th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan16° / 12712.30.5154.6
Feb16° / 9210.30.313.94.8
Mar14° / 10811.80.512.43.8
Apr11° / 10111.31.810.82.4
May / 12514.35.29.40.7
Jun / -3°9812.67.98.60.0
Jul / -4°9011.28.98.90.0
Aug / -2°8911.38.410.10.0
Sep / -1°12513.78.111.70.2
Oct / 13315.36.413.31.3
Nov11° / 13114.63.914.72.5
Dec14° / 13514.9115.43.6

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 10% of the time in September.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 76%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12278
22278
32278
42278
52377
62377
72377
82278
92278
102278
112377
122377
132377
142476
152476
162476
172575
182575
192674
202674
212674
222674
232773
242773
252674
262773
272773
282773
292773
302773

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitationSnow

Queenstown gets around 125 mm of rain and snow over 13.7 wet days in September. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 45% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days, and about 8 days bring snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202530
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14227
24227
34327
44327
54327
64427
74527
84527
94527
104627
114627
124627
134627
144527
154526
164526
174526
184526
194526
204525
214525
224525
234525
244525
254525
264525
274525
284525
294624
304624

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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100

Wind in September

Winds average 5 km/h in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 6 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
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 54 min at the start of September to 12 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 90 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 8:18 AM to 7:21 AM, and sunset from 7:12 PM to 7:48 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.98:187:12
210.98:167:13
311.08:147:14
411.18:127:16
511.18:117:17
611.28:097:18
711.28:077:19
811.38:057:21
911.38:037:22
1011.48:017:23
1111.47:597:24
1211.57:577:25
1311.57:557:27
1411.67:537:28
1511.67:517:29
1611.77:497:30
1711.77:477:32
1811.87:457:33
1911.97:437:34
2011.97:417:35
2112.07:397:37
2212.07:377:38
2312.17:357:39
2412.17:337:40
2512.27:317:42
2612.27:297:43
2712.37:277:44
2812.37:257:45
2912.47:237:47
3012.47:217:48

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 3.71 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.18 kWh/m² to a high of 6.48 kWh/m² in January across the year — September's 3.71 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.0Moderate
23.1Moderate
33.1Moderate
43.2Moderate
53.2Moderate
63.3Moderate
73.3Moderate
83.4Moderate
93.4Moderate
103.5Moderate
113.5Moderate
123.6Moderate
133.6Moderate
143.7Moderate
153.7Moderate
163.8Moderate
173.8Moderate
183.9Moderate
193.9Moderate
203.9Moderate
214.0Moderate
224.0Bright
234.1Bright
244.1Bright
254.2Bright
264.2Bright
274.2Bright
284.3Bright
294.3Bright
304.4Bright
Planning a trip in September

Is September a good time to visit Queenstown?

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

0.2
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

September is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Queenstown.

What to pack for Queenstown in September

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

In September, Queenstown sees daytime highs around 5°C and nights near -1°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: a heavy coat and rain gear. About 14 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Queenstown in September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 5 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Queenstown peaks around January 14 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 16 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateLowModerateHighVery highJan 14UV 11Jun 16UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb9Very high
Mar6High
Apr3Moderate
May2Low
Jun1Low
Jul2Low
Aug2Moderate
Sep5Moderate
Oct6High
Nov8Very high
Dec10Very high
Location & terrain

Where is Queenstown?

Queenstown sits at 45.0°S, 168.7°E, 0 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Wanaka, 53 km away.

InvercargillDunedinTekapoTimaruFranz JosefAshburtonRolleston

Topography around Queenstown

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Queenstown has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,008 m around an average of 513 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,956 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,884 m.

The land around Queenstown is covered by trees (42%) and water (32%) within 3 km, grassland (55%) and trees (25%) within 16 km, and grassland (64%) and trees (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
1,008 m
16 km
1,956 m
80 km
2,884 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewater
September weather nearby: Wanaka 53 km · Invercargill 154 km · Dunedin 172 km · Tekapo 184 km · Timaru 216 km · Franz Josef 219 km · Ashburton 274 km · Rolleston 337 km

New Zealand travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type I
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 86% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$49,591
2025
Happiness
7.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.5
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
9.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
no religion 49%Christian 37%objected to answering 7%Hindu 3%

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 Queenstown (-45.0302°, 168.6627°, elevation 0 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).