Early September 1 September
65°F
Typical afternoon high
39% historical wet-day frequency
Ireland · Beach
The west of Ireland
in September.
Is September a good time?
Mild days.
Fewer overnight stays than August.
September averages 63°F afternoons and 59°F seas, with about 13 rain days. Later September is typically cooler.
- Afternoons
- 63°F
- Sea
- 59°F
- Visitor demand
- 67%of August peak
Historical Northern and Western regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Galway, Connemara and Donegal; conditions vary within the region.
Overall match
4.4/10 · scores & prioritiesWhat matters most?
Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%
#2 of 12 months here · Balanced mix
Weather3.7/10Fair
CrowdsBusy seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, busier than most of Europe this month
CostExpensivefor Europe; Ireland-wide price level
Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.
Plan your September
What to expect.
What should I pack?
Afternoons around 63°F (17°C): light layers; nights around 50°F (10°C): a sweater and a light jacket. Bring rain gear: about 13 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 13 hours of daylight.
Can I swim in September?
The sea averages 59°F. Our swimming guide: cold: short dips, or a wetsuit. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.
Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.
A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details
About 13 hours of daylight.
The sun rises about 07:05 and sets about 19:53 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 50°F (10°C); afternoons reach about 63°F (17°C). Expect rain on about 13 days in a typical September.
Typical afternoon
63°F (17°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Septembers
Night low
50°F (10°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
59°F (15°C)
cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
12h 48m
on the 15th, computed from latitude
Early, middle or late?
Early or late September?
Early September is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 65°F on the 1st, versus 60°F on the 30th. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 39% to 48% between those dates.
Mid September 15 September
63°F
Typical afternoon high
44% historical wet-day frequency
Late September 30 September
60°F
Typical afternoon high
48% historical wet-day frequency
Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.
Daily calendar & holiday datesSeptember 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar
September 2027 calendar
Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 165° | 265° | 365° | 464° | 564° | ||
| 664° | 764° | 864° | 964° | 1064° | 1163° | 1263° |
| 1363° | 1463° | 1563° | 1662° | 1762° | 1862° | 1962° |
| 2062° | 2162° | 2262° | 2362° | 2462° | 2561° | 2661° |
| 2761° | 2860° | 2960° | 3060° |
Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event
School-holiday dates for September 2027 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open.
Afternoons cool from about 64°F (18°C) in the first week to 61°F (16°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 38–48%.
Crowds and cost
Visitor season
Will it be busy?
Busy season. September averages 67% of August's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than August.
Overnight stays across Northern and Western do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, busier than most of Europe this month.
Hotel price season
Will it be cheaper?
Well above usual. Estimated from national hotel prices and local visitor demand; no measured regional room rate is available.
Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.
Ireland as a whole
Above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 129 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.
Year-to-year variation
How much does September vary?
Across the recorded years
In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 60°F (16°C) and 65°F (19°C); in 14 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 63°F (17°C). Rain days ranged from 2 to 19; half the years had 10–17.
Rain days in each September
Rain days
13
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 18 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
1 of 30
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no September in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
3 of 30
rated very good or better
See every recorded SeptemberHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
| Year | Afternoon high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 62°F | 19 |
| 2012 | 60°F | 13 |
| 2013 | 63°F | 10 |
| 2014 | 65°F | 2 |
| 2015 | 61°F | 7 |
| 2016 | 63°F | 17 |
| 2017 | 61°F | 18 |
| 2018 | 60°F | 11 |
| 2019 | 63°F | 16 |
| 2020 | 63°F | 11 |
| 2021 | 65°F | 13 |
| 2022 | 64°F | 12 |
| 2023 | 65°F | 16 |
| 2024 | 63°F | 7 |
| 2025 | 62°F | 18 |
Checked against 24 local weather stations. How we check
Compare dates
August, September
or October?
| Typical conditions | Aug | Sep | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 66°F | 63°F | 57°F |
| Sea | 60°F | 59°F | 56°F |
| Rain days | 14 | 13 | 16 |
| Overnight demand | 100% | 67% | 51% |
August: Warmer afternoons than September. More overnight demand. August guide →
October: Cooler afternoons, cooler sea and more rain days than September. Less overnight demand. October guide →
Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.
Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with September Show comparisonHide comparison
Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. September stays as your reference.
No other scored month has a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than September.
Your comparison
September or August?
Overnight stays are 100% of the busiest month.
National hotel prices and local visitor demand suggest well above usual. No measured regional room rate is available.
Read the August guide →| Typical conditions | September | August |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoons | 63°F | 66°F |
| Nights | 50°F | 52°F |
| Sea | 59°F | 60°F |
| Rain days | 13 | 14 |
| Visitor season | Busy season | Peak season |
| Overall / 10 | 4.4 | 4.0 |
| Month rank | #2 | #6 |
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
| Month | Overall | Rank | High | Low | Sea | Rain days | Weather | Visitor season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3.0 | #8 | 47°F | 37°F | 49°F | 15 | 1.0 | Low season |
| February | 3.0 | #9 | 48°F | 37°F | 48°F | 15 | 1.0 | Moderate season |
| March | 3.0 | #10 | 51°F | 37°F | 48°F | 13 | 1.0 | Moderate season |
| April | 4.3 | #4 | 56°F | 40°F | 49°F | 12 | 2.3 | Moderate season |
| May | 4.4 | #3 | 61°F | 44°F | 53°F | 10 | 3.4 | Busy season |
| June | 4.2 | #5 | 65°F | 48°F | 56°F | 14 | 4.1 | Busy season |
| July | 4.5 | #1 | 67°F | 51°F | 59°F | 14 | 4.6 | Busy season |
| August | 4.0 | #6 | 66°F | 52°F | 60°F | 14 | 4.5 | Peak season |
| September | 4.4 | #2 | 63°F | 50°F | 59°F | 13 | 3.7 | Busy season |
| October | 3.6 | #7 | 57°F | 46°F | 56°F | 16 | 1.6 | Moderate season |
| November | 3.0 | #11 | 51°F | 41°F | 54°F | 15 | 1.0 | Low season |
| December | 3.0 | #12 | 48°F | 39°F | 51°F | 17 | 1.0 | Low season |
Near here
Nearby places in September
Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.
Elsewhere in Europe
Better September weather than The west of Ireland
The west of Ireland's weather ranks 74 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside Ireland have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with The west of Ireland.
BrittanyFrance · about 470 miles
Very good weather (7.2): 7°F warmer afternoons, 5 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (moderate season), cheaper
Western NormandyFrance · about 490 miles
Good weather (6.8): 7°F warmer afternoons, 5 fewer rain days, quieter for its season (moderate season), cheaper
Eastern NormandyFrance · about 520 miles
Good weather (6.8): 7°F warmer afternoons, 4 fewer rain days, cheaper
Bruges & the Belgian coastWest Flanders · Belgium · about 530 miles
Good weather (6.7): 7°F warmer afternoons, 4 fewer rain days
Lille & the north coastFrance · about 530 miles
Good weather (6.8): 7°F warmer afternoons, 5 fewer rain days, cheaper
How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details
It's busy season, 67% of the busiest month and 26% above its average month. That means about 41,000 overnight visitors on a typical September night across the region, 35% of them from Ireland itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 7,100 more: 17 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.
| Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100) | 53 |
| How our weather was checked | 24 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.3°C), night lows within 1°F (0.4°C). |
| Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day | 44 |
| Busiest month here | August · 65 |
| Visitors as share of people present | 4.2% |
| Rank among Europe's regions this month | 88th percentile |
| Domestic share of nights | 35% |
| Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights | 17 |
| Visitor share if every platform night were extra | 4.9% |
| National hotel-price season | Ireland historical 2024–2025 index: A little above usual (+7% vs its average month). Not a local room quote. |
| Population used | 959,000 |
| Statistical region | IE04 · Northern and Western |
Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national. Full method · this region's data.