Kota Kinabalu weather in September
In September, Kota Kinabalu has daytime highs averaging 29 °C, nights around 24 °C, with 22 wet days, and a sea temperature of 30 °C. Figures are 1991–2020 climate normals.
- 29.0°C Average high
- 24.1°C Average low
- 22days Wet days
- 197mm Rainfall
- 29.8°C Sea temperature
- 12h Daylight
Daily temperatures through September
How September develops
Averages for the first, middle and last part of the month, from daily 1991–2020 normals. Chance of rain is the share of years in which that calendar day recorded more than 1 mm.
| Days | Avg high | Avg low | Chance of rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–10 September | 29.0 °C | 24.1 °C | 75 % |
| 11–20 September | 29.1 °C | 24.1 °C | 67 % |
| 21–30 September | 28.9 °C | 24.1 °C | 77 % |
- Rain is most likely over days 21–30 of September (77 % of days) and least likely over days 11–20 (67 %).
What to expect
| Measure | Typical September | Share of the month |
|---|---|---|
| Days above 25 °C | 30 of 30 | 100 % |
| Days above 30 °C | 5.2 of 30 | 17 % |
| Days below 0 °C | 0 of 30 | 0 % |
| Days with more than 1 mm rain | 22 of 30 | 73 % |
Conditions in September
| Measure | Average |
|---|---|
| Mean temperature | 26 °C |
| Record high (1991–2020) | 33 °C |
| Record low (1991–2020) | 23 °C |
| Relative humidity | 85 % |
| Wind speed | 9.7 km/h |
| Cloud cover | 86 % |
Where Kota Kinabalu ranks in September
| Ranking | Position | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Warmest sea temperatures in Asia in September | 23rdof 50 | 30 °C |
| Warmest sea temperatures in the world in September | 36thof 50 | 30 °C |
September compared with the months around it
| Month | Avg high | Rainfall | Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|
| July | 29.1 °C | 188 mm | 86 % |
| August | 29.3 °C | 195 mm | 85 % |
| September | 29.0 °C | 197 mm | 86 % |
| October | 28.3 °C | 277 mm | 88 % |
| November | 28.2 °C | 282 mm | 86 % |
See all twelve months for Kota Kinabalu
- September is the 6th warmest month here.
- It is the 6th driest month of the year.
- It ranks 9th for least cloud cover.
- Days last about 12 hours from sunrise to sunset.
- It rains on 22 of 30 days — 73 % of the month.
- Nights are about 4.9 °C cooler than the middle of the day.
- The hottest September day on record since 1991 reached 33 °C, 3.8 °C above the usual daytime high.
- Beach score: 66 / 100 — see how this is calculated.
Nearby destinations in September
| Destination | Avg high | Wet days | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kota Kinabalu | 29 °C | 22 | 30 |
| Bandar Seri Begawan | 30 °C | 23 | 30 |
| Sandakan | 30 °C | 27 | 30 |
| Tawau | 29 °C | 27 | 29 |
| Miri | 29 °C | 25 | 30 |
| Tarakan | 29 °C | 27 | 29 |
| Bintulu | 30 °C | 25 | 30 |
| Puerto Princesa | 29 °C | 26 | 29 |
QuestionsSeptember in Kota Kinabalu, answered
How warm is Kota Kinabalu in September?
Daily highs average 29 °C and nights fall to about 24 °C, a spread of 4.9 °C between afternoon and dawn. That makes September the 6th warmest month of the year here.
Does it rain much in Kota Kinabalu in September?
September averages 197 mm of rain, spread over about 22 of the 30 days — 73 % of the month. Cloud cover averages 86 % of the sky.
Is the sea warm enough to swim in September?
The sea averages 30 °C off Kota Kinabalu in September. Most people find water below 20 °C bracing and above 25 °C comfortable for a long swim; this figure is a monthly surface average, so a sheltered bay on a still afternoon can be warmer.
How long are the days in September?
Kota Kinabalu averages 12 hours between sunrise and sunset in September. Day length is computed from latitude and date, so it is exact rather than modelled — but it says nothing about how much of that time is sunny.
Data sources and method
- ERA5 / ERA5-Land reanalysis — Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), ECMWF. Copernicus Licence
- Open-Meteo — Open-Meteo.com. CC BY 4.0
- NOAA OISST v2.1 — NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory. Public domain
- GeoNames — GeoNames.org. CC BY 4.0
- Normal period
- 1991–2020
- Dataset version
- era5-1991-2020-scores1.1
- Last processed
Measured values come from ERA5 reanalysis and are reproduced unchanged. Calculated by us: daylight hours, beach and comfort scores, monthly rankings, threshold day counts, chance of a wet day by date, ten-day averages within the month. Full formulas are on the methodology page.
Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026. Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains.