Penang · Malaysia
September
Shoulder season lull — rain increases but prices are low and crowds very manageable.
Strong option
#9 of 12 months
There are better months for Penang — see the full ranking below.
See when to go instead →Climate
High
31.8°C
Low
24.5°C
Rain
145mm
Sun
6.9hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How September scores in Penang
Weather
Above average
Value
Excellent
Crowds
Very good
Events
Above average
Atmosphere
Very good
What you gain in September
- ↑September sits between the SW and NE monsoon transitions: the festival crowds have gone, prices are low, and the hawker stalls are entirely yours. A serious food-focused trip with unlimited time at the best stalls is most achievable in September.
- ↑The Mid-Autumn Festival (Mooncake Festival) falls in September or October — lantern processions and mooncake stalls appear across Penang's Chinese neighbourhoods, and the Chew Jetty and Clan Jetty communities celebrate with particular enthusiasm.
- ↑Penang's interior and hill area are at their greenest: the botanical gardens near Penang Hill, the nutmeg orchards around Balik Pulau, and the forested interior trails all benefit from the monsoon moisture.
What you sacrifice
- ↓Rainfall increases sharply to 145mm — the transition to the NE monsoon means some days deliver sustained rain rather than the predictable afternoon bursts of the SW monsoon.
- ↓Sunshine hours drop to 6.9 per day — overcast skies are more frequent, and the light quality for photography diminishes compared to the January-February dry season.
How September compares to February (best month)
| Factor | September | February ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 5 | 9 |
| Value | 8 | 7 |
| Crowds | 7 | 6 |
September in other destinations
Lisbon (24.6°C)Barcelona (25.5°C)Tokyo (28.1°C)Bali (30.4°C)Santorini (24.1°C)Paris (21.6°C)New York (23.9°C)Marrakech (31.6°C)Amsterdam (18.8°C)Maldives (30.2°C)Rome (26.5°C)Bangkok (31°C)Istanbul (24.2°C)Vienna (22.1°C)Seoul (25.1°C)Dubrovnik (24.9°C)Rio de Janeiro (27.3°C)Kyoto (28.6°C)Phuket (31°C)Cape Town (19°C)Prague (21°C)Amalfi Coast (27°C)Mexico City (22°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (27°C)London (20°C)Sydney (20°C)Iceland (10°C)Tulum (32°C)Dubai (39°C)Singapore (32°C)Hoi An (31°C)Chiang Mai (31°C)Miami (32.8°C)Florence (26.3°C)Queenstown (12.5°C)Madrid (28.7°C)Porto (25°C)Edinburgh (16°C)Copenhagen (18°C)Budapest (23°C)Kraków (19°C)Tbilisi (26°C)Palawan (30°C)Hanoi (31°C)Osaka (29°C)Goa (30°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (18°C)Mykonos (27°C)Zanzibar (27°C)Sri Lanka (30°C)Costa Rica (24°C)Cancun (31°C)Krabi (31°C)Athens (29°C)Seville (31°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (31°C)Havana (31°C)Split (26°C)Taipei (31°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (29°C)Ho Chi Minh City (32°C)Hawaii (31°C)Cappadocia (27°C)Dominican Republic (31°C)Jamaica (32°C)Tanzania (25°C)Seychelles (27°C)Nepal (26°C)Jordan (32°C)Azores (25°C)Bora Bora (27°C)Los Angeles (28.1°C)Cairo (35.9°C)Kenya (25.3°C)Jaipur (32.1°C)Las Vegas (36.2°C)San Francisco (20.8°C)Madeira (26.5°C)Vancouver (19.2°C)Muscat (38.1°C)Lima (17.8°C)Cinque Terre (25°C)Kotor (27°C)Tel Aviv (30°C)Santiago (18°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (19.2°C)Lombok (31°C)Cape Verde (29.2°C)Fez (32.8°C)Kerala (30°C)Kigali (27°C)Hong Kong (29°C)Oslo (18°C)Auckland (16°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Penang, not across destinations. Methodology →