Lakeland weather in September

In September, Lakeland sees average daytime highs of 88°F and overnight lows near 74°F, with 5.1 in of rain across 17.8 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 88°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 24% of the time in September, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 36 min at the start of September to 11 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is Lakeland's 10th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Lakeland's year-round climate.

Daytime high
88°
4th warmest
Overnight low
74°
10th coldest
Rainfall
5.1 in
17.8 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
6:17 AM – 6:27 PM
Cloud cover
65%
10th clearest
Wind
6 mph
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.81 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.6
out of 10

Lakeland is city in Polk County, Florida, United States.

Density
543/km²
people per km²
Founded
1875

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 88°F through the month.

A typical September day in Lakeland reaches about 88°F in the afternoon and slips back to 74°F overnight — a 15°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 84°F and 92°F. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 1°F cooler than August and about 4°F warmer than October.

60°70°80°90°151015202530
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18975
28975
38975
48975
58975
68974
78974
88974
98974
108974
118974
128874
138874
148874
158874
168874
178874
188874
198873
208873
218873
228873
238873
248773
258773
268773
278772
288772
298772
308772

How September really feels in Lakeland

Once humidity and wind are folded in, September averages 30 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
30
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

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

Lakeland weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 4th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan71° / 51°2.35.810.47.3
Feb74° / 53°1.96.1117.5
Mar78° / 57°2.36.211.87.5
Apr83° / 63°2.16.412.66.5
May88° / 69°2.7813.44.8
Jun89° / 74°6.119.513.73.2
Jul89° / 75°6.322.913.62.8
Aug90° / 75°6.323.1132.8
Sep88° / 74°5.117.812.23.6
Oct84° / 67°2.2811.36.0
Nov78° / 59°1.44.610.67.8
Dec73° / 54°1.85.110.37.7

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 24% of the time in September.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 58%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13565
23565
33565
43565
53664
63664
73664
83763
93862
103862
113961
124060
134159
144258
154258
164357
174456
184555
194555
204654
214654
224753
234753
244852
254852
264852
274951
284852
294852
305050

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Lakeland gets around 5.1 in of rain over 17.8 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 59% and peaks near 69% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
169
269
369
468
568
668
767
866
965
1065
1164
1263
1362
1461
1560
1659
1758
1857
1956
2055
2154
2253
2352
2451
2550
2649
2748
2847
2946
3044

Humidity in September

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, September lands in the oppressive band about 69% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 96% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
100187516
200197515
300197614
4001107613
5001107613
6001117612
7001127611
8001127611
9001137511
10001147510
11001157410
12001167310
13001177210
14001187110
15001197010
16001206910
17002206810
18002216710
1901221679
2001322659
2101322659
2201322658
2302422648
2412422647
2513523617
2613523626
2713623616
2814623615
2924723595
3024724585

Wind in September

Winds average 6 mph in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 6 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202530
Wind speed (mph)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 36 min at the start of September to 11 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 48 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 6:10 AM to 6:24 AM, and sunset from 6:45 PM to 6:10 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.66:106:45
212.66:106:44
312.56:116:43
412.56:116:42
512.56:126:40
612.46:126:39
712.46:136:38
812.46:136:37
912.46:146:36
1012.36:146:34
1112.36:156:33
1212.36:156:32
1312.36:166:31
1412.26:166:30
1512.26:176:28
1612.26:176:27
1712.16:186:26
1812.16:186:25
1912.16:196:23
2012.16:196:22
2112.06:206:21
2212.06:206:20
2312.06:216:18
2411.96:216:17
2511.96:226:16
2611.96:226:15
2711.86:236:14
2811.86:236:12
2911.86:246:11
3011.86:246:10

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 4.81 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.14 kWh/m² to a high of 6.4 kWh/m² in May across the year — September's 4.81 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.1Bright
25.1Bright
35.1Bright
45.0Bright
55.0Bright
65.0Bright
75.0Bright
85.0Bright
94.9Bright
104.9Bright
114.9Bright
124.9Bright
134.9Bright
144.8Bright
154.8Bright
164.8Bright
174.8Bright
184.8Bright
194.7Bright
204.7Bright
214.7Bright
224.7Bright
234.7Bright
244.6Bright
254.6Bright
264.6Bright
274.5Bright
284.5Bright
294.5Bright
304.5Bright
Planning a trip in September

Hazard calendar for Lakeland

In seasonPeak

In September, Lakeland sits inside its atlantic hurricane and rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Lakeland sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Lakeland's rainy season runs June–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is September a good time to visit Lakeland?

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

3.6
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
5.4
Beach & pool
8th-best month of the year

September is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Lakeland.

What to pack for Lakeland in September

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

In September, Lakeland sees daytime highs around 88°F and nights near 74°F. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 18 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Lakeland in September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Lakeland peaks around July 12 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highExtremeVery highHighModerateJul 12UV 11Dec 19UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan5Moderate
Feb7High
Mar9Very high
Apr9Very high
May10Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul11Extreme
Aug10Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct7Very high
Nov5High
Dec4Moderate

Air quality in Lakeland 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 Lakeland is worst in July — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (December, 9 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodModerateGoodJul 1719 µg/m³Dec 219 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb11Good
Mar13Moderate
Apr11Good
May12Good
Jun17Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov9Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Lakeland?

Lakeland sits at 28.0°N, 81.9°W, 197 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Auburndale, 9.9 mi away.

Topography around Lakeland

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Lakeland.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Lakeland has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 135 ft around an average of 171 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 279 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 374 ft.

The land around Lakeland is covered by trees (42%) and artificial surfaces (33%) within 2 miles, trees (55%) and grassland (24%) within 10 miles, and trees (53%) and grassland (28%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
135 ft
10 miles
279 ft
50 miles
374 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
September weather nearby: Auburndale 9.9 mi · Plant City 9.9 mi · Bartow 12 mi · Eloise 13 mi · Winter Haven 13 mi · Valrico 19 mi · Bloomingdale 21 mi · Haines City 21 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 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 Lakeland (28.0395°, -81.9498°, elevation 197 ft), 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). 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).