Whanganui weather in September

In September, Whanganui sees average daytime highs of 13°C and overnight lows near 10°C, with 97 mm of rain across 13.6 wet days and about 11.7 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 13°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in September, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 06 min at the start of September to 12 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is Whanganui's 8th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Whanganui's year-round climate.

Daytime high
13°
9th warmest
Overnight low
10°
4th coldest
Rainfall
97 mm
13.6 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
7:22 AM – 7:06 PM
Cloud cover
58%
8th clearest
Wind
23 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
3.75 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.4
out of 10

Whanganui is city in New Zealand's North Island.

Density
20,736/km²
people per km²

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 13°C through the month.

A typical September day in Whanganui reaches about 13°C in the afternoon and slips back to 10°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 11°C and 15°C. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 1°C warmer than August and about 1°C cooler than October.

10°15°20°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1139
2139
3139
4139
5139
6139
7139
8139
9139
10139
111310
121310
131310
141310
151310
161310
171310
181310
191310
201310
211310
221310
231310
241310
251310
261410
271410
281410
291410
301410

Whanganui weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 9th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan19° / 15°719.314.56.3
Feb20° / 16°668.113.66.5
Mar18° / 15°689.612.36.2
Apr17° / 13°9811115.2
May15° / 11°9712.49.84.3
Jun13° / 10°10914.19.23.2
Jul12° / 10514.39.52.9
Aug12° / 10214.710.43.0
Sep13° / 10°9713.611.73.4
Oct14° / 11°10714.213.13.8
Nov16° / 12°8912.214.24.6
Dec17° / 14°10012.714.85.4

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in September.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 48%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15446
25446
35347
45347
55248
65248
75149
85149
95050
105149
115050
125050
135149
145149
155149
165149
175347
185347
195347
205347
215347
225446
235347
245347
255347
265347
275347
285347
295149
305149

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Whanganui gets around 97 mm of rain over 13.6 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 45% and peaks near 49% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
141
241
341
441
541
641
742
842
943
1043
1144
1244
1345
1445
1545
1646
1746
1847
1947
2047
2148
2248
2348
2448
2549
2649
2749
2849
2949
3049

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 (%)Comfortable (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
27991
28991
29991
30991

Wind in September

Winds average 23 km/h in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 22 km/h on the calmest days to 25 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
122breezy
222breezy
322breezy
422breezy
522breezy
622breezy
722breezy
823breezy
923breezy
1023breezy
1123breezy
1223breezy
1323breezy
1423breezy
1523breezy
1623breezy
1724breezy
1824breezy
1924breezy
2024breezy
2124breezy
2224breezy
2324breezy
2424breezy
2524breezy
2624breezy
2724breezy
2824breezy
2924breezy
3025breezy

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 06 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 78 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 7:47 AM to 6:58 AM, and sunset from 6:52 PM to 7:20 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.17:476:52
211.17:466:53
311.27:446:54
411.27:426:55
511.37:416:56
611.37:396:57
711.37:376:58
811.47:366:59
911.47:347:00
1011.57:327:01
1111.57:307:02
1211.67:297:02
1311.67:277:03
1411.77:257:04
1511.77:247:05
1611.77:227:06
1711.87:207:07
1811.87:187:08
1911.97:177:09
2011.97:157:10
2112.07:137:11
2212.07:127:12
2312.17:107:13
2412.17:087:14
2512.17:067:15
2612.27:057:16
2712.27:037:17
2812.37:017:18
2912.37:007:19
3012.46:587:20

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 3.75 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.64 kWh/m² to a high of 7 kWh/m² in January across the year — September's 3.75 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.2Moderate
23.3Moderate
33.3Moderate
43.3Moderate
53.4Moderate
63.4Moderate
73.4Moderate
83.5Moderate
93.5Moderate
103.6Moderate
113.6Moderate
123.6Moderate
133.7Moderate
143.7Moderate
153.8Moderate
163.8Moderate
173.8Moderate
183.9Moderate
193.9Moderate
204.0Moderate
214.0Moderate
224.0Bright
234.1Bright
244.1Bright
254.1Bright
264.2Bright
274.2Bright
284.3Bright
294.3Bright
304.3Bright
Planning a trip in September

Is September a good time to visit Whanganui?

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

3.4
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

September is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Whanganui.

What to pack for Whanganui in September

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

In September, Whanganui sees daytime highs around 13°C and nights near 10°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: a warm layer and a windbreaker. About 14 days see rain.

rain geara warm layera windbreaker

Sea temperature near Whanganui in September

The nearest coast averages about 13°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 16 km away) is warmest in February at about 19°C and coldest in August near 13°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

12°14°16°18°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan18Cool
Feb19Cool
Mar18Cool
Apr17Cool
May16Cool
Jun14Bracing
Jul13Bracing
Aug13Bracing
Sep13Bracing
Oct14Bracing
Nov15Bracing
Dec16Cool

UV index in Whanganui in September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Whanganui peaks around January 12 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeHighModerateLowModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 12UV 12Jun 17UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar7High
Apr5Moderate
May2Moderate
Jun2Low
Jul2Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep4Moderate
Oct7High
Nov10Very high
Dec11Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Whanganui?

Whanganui sits at 39.9°S, 175.1°E, 18 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Palmerston North, 67 km away.

ParaparaumuMastertonNew PlymouthUpper HuttPoriruaLower Hutt

Topography around Whanganui

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Whanganui has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 103 m around an average of 28 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 300 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,746 m.

The land around Whanganui is covered by grassland (39%), artificial surfaces (28%) and trees (25%) within 3 km, grassland (42%), water (32%) and trees (22%) within 16 km, and grassland (44%), trees (29%) and water (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
103 m
16 km
300 m
80 km
1,746 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
September weather nearby: Palmerston North 67 km · Levin 80 km · Paraparaumu 109 km · Masterton 125 km · New Plymouth 127 km · Upper Hutt 134 km · Porirua 135 km · Lower Hutt 143 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 Whanganui (-39.9333°, 175.05°, elevation 18 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. 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).