San Rafael del Sur weather in October

In October, San Rafael del Sur sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 311 mm of rain across 24.6 wet days and about 11.7 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-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 9% of the time in October, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 54 min at the start of October to 11 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is San Rafael del Sur's 10th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see San Rafael del Sur's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
12th warmest
Overnight low
24°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
311 mm
24.6 wet days
Daylight
11 h 42 min
5:39 AM – 5:23 PM
Cloud cover
77%
10th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
4.86 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.2
out of 10

San Rafael del Sur is Town in Nicaragua, seat of the second admin division Municipio de San Rafael del Sur.

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month.

A typical October day in San Rafael del Sur reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 28°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs on par with September and about 1°C cooler than November.

20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13024
23024
33024
43024
53024
63024
73024
83024
93024
103024
113024
123024
133024
143024
153024
163024
173024
183024
193024
203024
213024
223024
233024
243024
253024
263024
273024
283024
293024
303024
313024

How October really feels in San Rafael del Sur

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 31 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
31
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in October is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

San Rafael del Sur weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 12th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan32° / 24°10.311.45.1
Feb33° / 24°10.311.64.8
Mar34° / 25°20.711.94.2
Apr34° / 26°204.212.33.4
May33° / 26°19017.912.52.9
Jun31° / 25°2002012.73.1
Jul32° / 25°9311.912.63.7
Aug32° / 25°1441712.43.3
Sep31° / 25°25624.212.12.9
Oct30° / 24°31124.611.73.2
Nov31° / 24°769.111.54.5
Dec32° / 24°61.111.35.1

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 9% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 77%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11783
21783
31783
41783
51783
61783
71783
81783
91783
101783
111783
121684
131684
141783
151882
161882
171981
182080
192278
202377
212575
222575
232773
242971
253070
263268
273268
283466
293565
303565
313763

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

San Rafael del Sur gets around 311 mm of rain over 24.6 wet days in October, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 79% and peaks near 88% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
188
287
386
486
585
685
785
884
984
1084
1184
1284
1384
1483
1583
1683
1783
1882
1981
2080
2179
2277
2376
2474
2572
2670
2768
2866
2964
3061
3158

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, October lands in the oppressive band about 85% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
108416
208515
308515
408515
508614
608614
708713
808713
908713
1008812
1108812
1208713
1308713
1418613
1518613
1618514
1718514
1818514
1918415
2028315
2128315
2228315
2328315
2438314
2538314
2638413
2748313
2848412
2958411
3068410
316859

Wind in October

Winds average 9 km/h in October, the calmest month.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 54 min at the start of October to 11 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 5:38 AM to 5:42 AM, and sunset from 5:32 PM to 5:17 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.95:385:32
211.95:385:31
311.95:385:30
411.95:385:30
511.95:385:29
611.85:385:28
711.85:385:28
811.85:385:27
911.85:385:27
1011.85:385:26
1111.85:385:25
1211.85:385:25
1311.85:385:24
1411.85:395:24
1511.75:395:23
1611.75:395:23
1711.75:395:22
1811.75:395:22
1911.75:395:21
2011.75:395:21
2111.75:405:20
2211.75:405:20
2311.75:405:20
2411.65:405:19
2511.65:405:19
2611.65:415:18
2711.65:415:18
2811.65:415:18
2911.65:415:17
3011.65:425:17
3111.65:425:17

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 4.86 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.86 kWh/m² to a high of 6.96 kWh/m² in April across the year — October's 4.86 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.0Bright
25.0Bright
35.0Bright
45.0Bright
54.9Bright
64.9Bright
74.9Bright
84.9Bright
94.9Bright
104.8Bright
114.8Bright
124.8Bright
134.8Bright
144.8Bright
154.8Bright
164.8Bright
174.8Bright
184.8Bright
194.8Bright
204.8Bright
214.8Bright
224.8Bright
234.8Bright
244.9Bright
254.9Bright
264.9Bright
274.9Bright
284.9Bright
294.9Bright
305.0Bright
315.0Bright
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for San Rafael del Sur

In seasonPeak

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

San Rafael del Sur sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

San Rafael del Sur's monsoon runs August–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 October a good time to visit San Rafael del Sur?

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

3.2
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
4.5
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

October is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in San Rafael del Sur.

What to pack for San Rafael del Sur in October

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

In October, San Rafael del Sur sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 25 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near San Rafael del Sur in October

The nearest coast averages about 29°C in October — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 21 km away) is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in February near 27°C.

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

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr28Warm
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov28Tropical
Dec28Warm

UV index in San Rafael del Sur in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October 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 Rafael del Sur peaks around March 22 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 14 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 22UV 14Dec 14UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct11Extreme
Nov10Very high
Dec9Very high

Air quality in San Rafael del Sur in October

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where October falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in San Rafael del Sur is worst in July — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.5× the cleanest month (January, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1625 µg/m³Jan 187 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar10Good
Apr21Moderate
May24Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul25Moderate
Aug20Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct13Moderate
Nov11Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is San Rafael del Sur?

San Rafael del Sur sits at 11.8°N, 86.4°W, 126 m above sea level, in Nicaragua. The nearest listed city is El Crucero, 21 km away.

MasatepeCiudad SandinoManaguaMasaya

Topography around San Rafael del Sur

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around San Rafael del Sur has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 152 m around an average of 119 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 693 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,305 m.

The land around San Rafael del Sur is covered by trees (48%) and grassland (40%) within 3 km, trees (54%) and grassland (29%) within 16 km, and water (46%) and trees (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
152 m
16 km
693 m
80 km
1,305 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
October weather nearby: El Crucero 21 km · Diriamba 22 km · Jinotepe 26 km · San Marcos 26 km · Masatepe 33 km · Ciudad Sandino 36 km · Managua 38 km · Masaya 40 km

Nicaragua travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 34% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$3,173
2025
Happiness
6.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
11.3
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
16.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 512
Religion
Roman Catholic 45%Protestant 39%none 14%other 1%

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 Rafael del Sur (11.8485°, -86.4384°, elevation 126 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).