Mthatha weather in September

In September, Mthatha sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 10°C, with 56 mm of rain across 8.4 wet days and about 11.8 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 23°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 43% of the time in September, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 18 min at the start of September to 12 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is Mthatha's 5th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mthatha's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
7th warmest
Overnight low
10°
5th coldest
Rainfall
56 mm
8.4 wet days
Daylight
11 h 48 min
6:05 AM – 5:53 PM
Cloud cover
49%
5th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
4.79 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.1
out of 10

Mthatha is town in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Density
2,999/km²
people per km²
Founded
1876

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 23°C through the month.

A typical September day in Mthatha reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 10°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 14°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 1°C warmer than August and on par with October.

10°20°30°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1229
2229
3239
4239
5239
6239
7239
8239
9239
10239
112310
122310
132310
142310
152310
162310
172310
182310
192310
202310
212310
222310
232310
242310
252310
262310
272210
282210
292210
302210

Mthatha weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 7th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan25° / 16°14518.813.85.3
Feb26° / 16°13115.913.25.5
Mar25° / 15°12016.212.26.0
Apr23° / 12°769.911.26.9
May22° / 27510.47.8
Jun20° / 243.3107.9
Jul20° / 223.210.17.9
Aug21° / 325.510.87.7
Sep23° / 10°568.411.87.1
Oct23° / 11°9614.912.86.0
Nov23° / 13°12916.413.65.7
Dec24° / 14°14018.5145.5

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 43% 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 42%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16931
26931
36733
46634
56634
66535
76436
86436
96337
106337
116238
126139
136139
146040
155941
165842
175743
185743
195545
205545
215446
225446
235248
245248
255050
264951
274951
284753
294753
304555

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Mthatha gets around 56 mm of rain over 8.4 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 29% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
122
223
323
424
524
625
725
826
926
1027
1127
1228
1328
1429
1529
1630
1730
1830
1930
2031
2131
2231
2332
2432
2533
2634
2735
2835
2936
3037

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 93% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1973
2973
3973
4973
5973
6973
7973
8973
9973
10964
11964
12955
13955
14946
15946
16937
17937
18928
19928
20919
21919
229010
239010
249010
258911
268812
278812
288713
298713
308614

Wind in September

Winds average 9 km/h in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 9 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
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

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

Days grow by about 60 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 6:25 AM to 5:46 AM, and sunset from 5:44 PM to 6:02 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.36:255:44
211.46:245:45
311.46:225:45
411.46:215:46
511.56:205:47
611.56:185:47
711.56:175:48
811.56:165:49
911.66:145:49
1011.66:135:50
1111.66:125:50
1211.76:105:51
1311.76:095:52
1411.76:085:52
1511.86:065:53
1611.86:055:53
1711.86:045:54
1811.96:025:55
1911.96:015:55
2011.95:595:56
2112.05:585:57
2212.05:575:57
2312.05:555:58
2412.15:545:58
2512.15:535:59
2612.15:516:00
2712.25:506:00
2812.25:496:01
2912.25:476:02
3012.35:466:02

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 4.79 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.14 kWh/m² to a high of 5.68 kWh/m² in December across the year — September's 4.79 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.5Bright
24.5Bright
34.5Bright
44.5Bright
54.6Bright
64.6Bright
74.6Bright
84.6Bright
94.6Bright
104.7Bright
114.7Bright
124.7Bright
134.7Bright
144.7Bright
154.7Bright
164.8Bright
174.8Bright
184.8Bright
194.8Bright
204.8Bright
214.9Bright
224.9Bright
234.9Bright
244.9Bright
254.9Bright
264.9Bright
274.9Bright
285.0Bright
295.0Bright
305.0Bright
Planning a trip in September

Hazard calendar for Mthatha

In seasonPeak

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

Mthatha's rainy season runs October–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is September a good time to visit Mthatha?

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

7.1
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
5.2
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

September is one of the better times to visit Mthatha for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Mthatha in September

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

In September, Mthatha sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 10°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 8 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Mthatha in September

The nearest coast averages about 21°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 64 km away) is warmest in February at about 26°C and coldest in August near 21°C.

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

20°22°24°26°28°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan25Warm
Feb26Warm
Mar26Warm
Apr25Warm
May24Refreshing
Jun23Refreshing
Jul22Refreshing
Aug21Refreshing
Sep21Refreshing
Oct22Refreshing
Nov23Refreshing
Dec24Warm

UV index in Mthatha in September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Mthatha peaks around January 15 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 4 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighExtremeJan 15UV 14Jun 22UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar10Extreme
Apr7High
May5Moderate
Jun4Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug5High
Sep6High
Oct11Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Mthatha 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 Mthatha is worst in August — around 34 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.1× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1633 µg/m³Dec 228 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb10Good
Mar12Good
Apr14Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun20Moderate
Jul25Moderate
Aug34Moderate
Sep24Moderate
Oct16Moderate
Nov13Moderate
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Mthatha?

Mthatha sits at 31.6°S, 28.8°E, 694 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Ugie, 68 km away.

Qacha’s Nek

Topography around Mthatha

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mthatha has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 164 m around an average of 706 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 688 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,012 m.

The land around Mthatha is covered by artificial surfaces (41%) and grassland (35%) within 3 km, grassland (55%) and cropland (30%) within 16 km, and grassland (52%) and trees (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
164 m
16 km
688 m
80 km
2,012 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
September weather nearby: Ugie 68 km · Khowa 93 km · Butterworth 102 km · Tlokoeng 103 km · Cala 103 km · Kokstad 131 km · Lady Frere 147 km · Qacha’s Nek 164 km

South Africa travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / M / N
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 41% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$6,598
2025
Happiness
5.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
68%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
43.7
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
22.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 602
Religion
Christian 86%or other traditional African religions 5%nothing in particular 5%Muslim 2%

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 Mthatha (-31.5889°, 28.7844°, elevation 694 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. 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).