Kakadu (Jabiru) weather in September

September in Kakadu: sweltering, dry, with clean air — not the time — 38°C afternoons.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Kakadu🇦🇺 Australia · Tropical Australia · National park48
  1. 35Jan
  2. 40Feb
  3. 42Mar
  4. 51Apr
  5. 62May
  6. 70Jun
  7. 71Jul
  8. 61Aug
  9. 48Sep
  10. 37Oct
  11. 33Nov
  12. 36Dec

#6 of 12 months in Kakadu · #1280 of 1413 destinations to visit in September · comfort 48/100 (tier F)

Days
37°C
Nights
22°C
Wet days
2
Sun
11.1 h
Humidity
49%
Daylight
12 h
Kakadu, Australia
Photo: Tourism NT · Attribution

Traveller notes on Kakadu in September

Other months in Kakadu

Kakadu-forum threads on a February visit are direct: this is genuinely the wettest month of the year, posters calling roughly 320 millimeters of rain typical and humidity high enough that sleeping comfortably can be a real challenge without air conditioning. Regulars call a portion of the park inaccessible this time of year, swollen rivers and muddy roads cutting off usual sites. Posters recommend boat cruises out of Cooinda or Jabiru as a genuine highlight, the Yellow Water cruise reaching areas that stay underwater this season. Regulars call February possibly the toughest month logistically, though there's still real value staying flexible around daily-changing conditions. Posters recommend checking current road status rather than a fixed itinerary. Regulars call the waterfalls and lush landscape a genuine reward for anyone willing to adapt. The record: 34.1C days feeling like a punishing 40C, 24.9C nights, an extraordinarily high 352.7mm across over 18 days and 82 percent humidity.
KakaduFebruaryRegular · February · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Kakadu-forum threads on April describe this as still genuinely wet season, posters calling the rains tapering off but far from finished, water levels only slowly receding as the month goes on. Regulars call several tracks still closed, crocodiles needing to be cleared from some sites before access reopens, a real safety consideration rather than bureaucratic caution. Posters describe some spots normally 2WD in the dry season as requiring 4WD in April due to creek crossings still running. Regulars call humidity genuinely high overnight, uncomfortable sleeping a real complaint from anyone camping rather than staying in air-conditioned accommodation. Posters recommend checking current road and track status with the visitor center before a route. Regulars call the landscape genuinely green and striking despite the access limitations. The record: 35.1C days feeling like a punishing 38C, 24.4C nights, 79.8mm across over 5 days and 66 percent humidity.
KakaduAprilRegular · April · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Kakadu-forum threads on a March visit call conditions genuinely hot and humid, posters describing this as still deep within the region's heavier system season even as the calendar edges toward the settled months. Regulars call February and March typically the wettest stretch of the year, real flooding a standing possibility that can close off entire sections of the park. Posters recommend confirming current road status, four-wheel-drive tracks routinely closed through this window regardless of the forecast for a specific day. Regulars describe scenic flights and boat trips as reliable alternatives when ground routes are impassable. Posters call the landscape genuinely lush and green, waterfalls off the escarpment often still running strong. Regulars recommend real caution around waterways given how far crocodiles range once levels rise. The record: 34.8C days feeling like a punishing 41C, 25.1C nights, an extraordinarily high 248.6mm across over 15 days and 79 percent humidity.
KakaduMarchRegular · March · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Kakadu-forum threads on late May confirm this sits right at the start of the dry season, still ahead of the main tourist rush, posters describing it as genuinely comfortable though occasionally warm and humid rather than fully settled cool-season conditions. A real advantage of this early window is the amount of water still flowing over the park's major waterfalls, fed by the tail end of the previous wetter stretch, before levels drop through later months. Most of the park is reported accessible to a standard 2WD vehicle by late May barring an unusually heavy recent system, though posters recommend checking road status before the more remote unsealed routes. Regulars call the balance of good access, flowing waterfalls and thinner crowds a genuine sweet spot against the busier, drier peak later in the season. Sun protection remains essential regardless of season. The record: 33.9C days feeling like a punishing 38C, 22.7C nights, 53 percent humidity and 9.6 hours of sun.
KakaduMayRegular · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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Kakadu climate normals — September

Daytime high37°C / 98°F🔥 sweltering
Nighttime low22°C / 72°F
Feels like (high)38°C / 100°F
Rainfall29 mm / 1.1 in☀️ dry
Rainy days2 days
Humidity49%🍃 comfortable
Dew point16°C / 60°F
Sunshine11.1 h/day
Daylight12 h
Wind16 km/h / 10 mph
Air quality (US AQI)29🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Kakadu in September

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

Peak crowdsDry season, Spring break in Australia, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Kakadu's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Fair weatherKakadu's weather peaks May–July.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Kakadu in September

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Rule

    Swim only where it is checked

    1 Jan – 31 DecRisk

    Saltwater crocodiles move all over the park with the water, and rangers survey and clear the few plunge pools that open each dry. Everywhere else is closed to swimming, permanently and for good reason. Source ↗

  • Season

    Dry season

    1 May – 31 OctCrowded

    From May the floodplains drop, the unsealed roads dry out and the park opens up properly. Bininj count six seasons here, not two, and this covers three of them.

  • Rule

    Park pass, dry-season price

    15 May – 31 Oct

    Everyone needs a pass and it costs more in the dry than in the wet (an adult pass is $40 in the dry, $25 in the wet). Buy it online before you drive in; the ranger stations are a long way apart and there is no boom gate to sell you one. Source ↗

  • Nature

    Birds crowd the last billabongs

    1 Aug – 31 Oct · usuallyBirdlife season

    As the floodplain shrinks, magpie geese, jabiru and whistling ducks pack onto what water is left. The late dry is when the Yellow Water cruise is at its best and the heat at its worst.

  • Festival

    Mahbilil Festival

    20 Aug – 10 Sep · usuallyMajor festival

    A one-day festival on the lake at Jabiru at the end of the dry: music, weaving, bush foods, spear throwing and a magpie-goose plucking competition, run by and for the local communities. Source ↗

What's on around the world in September →

Where is Kakadu?

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Kakadu in September — FAQ

Is September a good time to visit Kakadu?
September in Kakadu: sweltering, dry, with clean air — not the time — 38°C afternoons. It ranks #6 of 12 months for Kakadu on SeasonMap's comfort score (48/100).
What is the weather like in Kakadu in September?
In September, Kakadu averages a daily high of 36.9°C and a low of 22.1°C, with about 28.8 mm of rain over roughly 1.6 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Kakadu in September?
Kakadu has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 29 in September.