Polokwane weather in September

In September, Polokwane sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 13 mm of rain across 2.7 wet days and about 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 25°C in the first days to 27°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 75% of the time in September, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 30 min at the start of September to 12 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is Polokwane's 5th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Polokwane's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
7th warmest
Overnight low
12°
5th coldest
Rainfall
13 mm
2.7 wet days
Daylight
11 h 54 min
6:01 AM – 5:52 PM
Cloud cover
25%
5th clearest
Wind
11 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
6.05 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.5
out of 10

Polokwane is South African city.

Density
2,550/km²
people per km²
Founded
1886

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 25°C in the first days to 27°C by the end.

A typical September day in Polokwane reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 14°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 3°C warmer than August and about 1°C cooler than October.

10°20°30°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12511
22511
32511
42511
52511
62511
72511
82511
92612
102612
112612
122612
132612
142612
152612
162612
172612
182612
192613
202613
212613
222613
232713
242713
252713
262713
272713
282713
292713
302713

Polokwane 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
Jan27° / 17°11613.713.36.0
Feb27° / 17°8810.112.86.4
Mar26° / 16°749.512.27.0
Apr24° / 13°395.411.58.0
May23° / 10°112.510.98.7
Jun20° / 40.910.68.6
Jul20° / 30.710.78.5
Aug23° / 40.911.29.1
Sep26° / 12°132.711.98.5
Oct27° / 14°46812.67.2
Nov27° / 16°9813.513.26.0
Dec27° / 17°13115.913.45.7

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 75% of the time in September.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 14%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1919
29010
39010
49010
59010
68911
78911
88911
98812
108812
118812
128713
138614
148614
158614
168614
178515
188515
198416
208416
218416
228416
238317
248317
258317
268317
278317
288218
298218
308218

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Polokwane gets around 13 mm of rain over 2.7 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 9% and peaks near 17% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
16
26
36
47
57
67
77
87
97
107
117
127
137
147
157
167
178
188
198
209
219
2210
2311
2412
2512
2613
2714
2815
2916
3017

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 98% 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
17991
18991
19991
20991
21982
22973
23973
24964
25955
26946
27946
28937
29928
30919

Wind in September

Winds average 11 km/h in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 11 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1811calm
1911calm
2011calm
2111calm
2211calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2711calm
2811calm
2911calm
3011calm

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 min at the start of September to 12 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 6:16 AM to 5:46 AM, and sunset from 5:47 PM to 5:57 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:165:47
211.56:155:48
311.66:145:48
411.66:135:48
511.66:125:49
611.66:115:49
711.76:105:49
811.76:095:50
911.76:085:50
1011.76:075:50
1111.76:065:51
1211.86:055:51
1311.86:045:51
1411.86:035:52
1511.86:025:52
1611.96:015:52
1711.95:595:53
1811.95:585:53
1911.95:575:53
2012.05:565:54
2112.05:555:54
2212.05:545:54
2312.05:535:55
2412.15:525:55
2512.15:515:55
2612.15:505:56
2712.15:495:56
2812.15:485:57
2912.25:475:57
3012.25:465:57

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 6.05 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.04 kWh/m² to a high of 6.67 kWh/m² in January across the year — September's 6.05 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.7Bright
35.7Bright
45.7Bright
55.8Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.9Bright
95.9Bright
105.9Bright
116.0Bright
126.0Bright
136.0Intense
146.0Intense
156.0Intense
166.1Intense
176.1Intense
186.1Intense
196.1Intense
206.2Intense
216.2Intense
226.2Intense
236.2Intense
246.2Intense
256.3Intense
266.3Intense
276.3Intense
286.3Intense
296.3Intense
306.4Intense
Planning a trip in September

Hazard calendar for Polokwane

In seasonPeak

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

Polokwane's rainy season runs November–March, 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 Polokwane?

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

8.5
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
8.0
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Polokwane in September

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

In September, Polokwane sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 12°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes.

sun protectionlight clothes

UV index in Polokwane in September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Polokwane peaks around January 17 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 6 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighVery highExtremeJan 17UV 14Jun 18UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr9Very high
May7High
Jun6High
Jul6High
Aug8Very high
Sep10Very high
Oct10Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Polokwane 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 Polokwane is worst in August — around 26 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.5× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1525 µg/m³Dec 237 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar11Good
Apr16Moderate
May22Moderate
Jun23Moderate
Jul25Moderate
Aug26Moderate
Sep25Moderate
Oct16Moderate
Nov9Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Polokwane?

Polokwane sits at 23.9°S, 29.5°E, 1,315 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Mankweng, 24 km away.

Topography around Polokwane

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Polokwane has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 149 m around an average of 1,293 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 393 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,561 m.

The land around Polokwane is covered by artificial surfaces (61%) within 3 km, grassland (51%) and shrubs (21%) within 16 km, and shrubs (50%) and grassland (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
149 m
16 km
393 m
80 km
1,561 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
September weather nearby: Mankweng 24 km · Lebowakgomo 46 km · Mokopane 57 km · Tzaneen 71 km · Duiwelskloof 72 km · Nkowakowa 83 km · Mookgophong 102 km · Louis Trichardt 105 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 Polokwane (-23.9045°, 29.4688°, elevation 1,315 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. 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).