Medan (Sumatra) weather in September

September in Medan: sweltering, soaked, with muggy air — not the time — 28 rainy days.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Medan🇮🇩 Indonesia · Malaysia, Singapore & Sumatra · City48
  1. 58Jan
  2. 64Feb
  3. 60Mar
  4. 52Apr
  5. 45May
  6. 55Jun
  7. 58Jul
  8. 53Aug
  9. 48Sep
  10. 46Oct
  11. 44Nov
  12. 47Dec

#8 of 12 months in Medan · #1283 of 1413 destinations to visit in September · comfort 48/100 (tier F)

Days
32°C
Nights
24°C
Wet days
28
Sun
8.9 h
Humidity
88%
Daylight
12 h
Medan, Indonesia
Photo: Mike Panton · Pexels

Traveller notes on Medan in September

Notes from nearby Lake Toba (107 km away)

Medan doesn't have its own notes for September yet — these are about Lake Toba, close enough to share the season.

Lake Toba-forum threads on a September visit describe a slower twelve-day loop through Medan, Berastagi and Lake Toba as a real way to properly see the region, several posters planning exactly this kind of extended itinerary. Regulars recommend three to four days at the lake itself as a reasonable minimum to make the trip worthwhile, shorter stops considered rushed by several regulars. Posters call Samosir Island a genuine highlight within the wider lake, several threads discussing transportation and itinerary planning specifically for reaching it. Regulars call the drive or ferry connection from Medan a real logistics factor worth planning ahead, several posters asking about current options before finalizing dates. Posters recommend real waterproof layers regardless of a clear morning, September conditions here shifting fast given the season. The record: 25.9C days feeling like 28C, 21.3C nights, an extraordinarily high 285.2mm across 28 days and 84 percent humidity.
LakeTobaSeptemberRegular · September · 1 month ago · about Lake Toba · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Other months in Medan

Forum posters describe the broader Indonesia dry season, roughly June through August, as generally recommended for travel, though posters note rain remains a near-constant presence across the archipelago's calendar rather than disappearing entirely - a full day of nonstop downpour is unusual, with more typical patterns being a few hours of passing rain followed by sunshine again. It is worth noting that for Medan specifically, the full 12-month climate record shows August is not actually among its driest months - January and February run noticeably drier here, with rain staying elevated from April through December. Posters consistently recommend packing rain gear regardless of the season given how unpredictable North Sumatra's weather can run. Posters generally rate August as warm and genuinely rain-prone for Medan, the wider Indonesian dry-season framing not holding up well for this particular city.
Tripadvisor community · August · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Forum posters describe February as still squarely inside the region's rainy season, with daily rain a real possibility running well into the following months - though posters note February is generally a bit drier than January, even as climate patterns have grown less predictable in recent years. For Medan and North Sumatra specifically, posters describe conditions as genuinely unpredictable day to day, recommending flexibility built into any itinerary through Lake Toba and Berastagi rather than counting on a dry stretch. Posters contrast this with parts of eastern Indonesia like Lombok and Komodo, which tend to run drier at the same time of year for anyone able to adjust their route.
Tripadvisor community · February · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Add your own note from Medan's card on the map.

Medan climate normals — September

Daytime high32°C / 89°F🔥 sweltering
Nighttime low24°C / 74°F
Feels like (high)39°C / 102°F
Rainfall316 mm / 12.5 in⛈ soaked
Rainy days28 days
Humidity88%💦 very humid
Dew point24°C / 75°F
Sunshine8.9 h/day
Daylight12.1 h
Wind8 km/h / 5 mph
Air quality (US AQI)88🙂 moderate

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

Crowds in Medan 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.

Shoulder seasonschool holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Medan'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 weatherMedan's weather peaks January–March, best around February.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Medan in September

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

  • Hazard

    Sinabung ash and alerts

    1 Jan – 31 DecVolcanic activityClosures

    The volcano above Berastagi, two hours up the road, has spent years at raised alert with an exclusion zone around it. Ash falls close the Karo highland roads and occasionally the flight paths. Source ↗

  • Hazard

    Haze season

    15 Jun – 15 Oct · usuallySmoke season

    Peat and plantation fires across Riau and Sumatra put smoke over the city in the drier weeks. In a bad year the airport diverts and the schools send children home. Source ↗

  • Season

    Wet season

    MonsoonRisk

    28 rainy days and about 316 mm in the month — the real kind of rainy season, not afternoon showers.

    from the climate normals

What's on around the world in September →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Medan — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Medan?

Loading map…

Medan in September — FAQ

Is September a good time to visit Medan?
September in Medan: sweltering, soaked, with muggy air — not the time — 28 rainy days. It ranks #8 of 12 months for Medan on SeasonMap's comfort score (48/100).
What is the weather like in Medan in September?
In September, Medan averages a daily high of 31.7°C and a low of 23.5°C, with about 316.4 mm of rain over roughly 27.5 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Medan in September?
Medan has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 88 in September.

Within 300 km: Lake Toba's Festival Danau Toba around 1 Jun – 30 Sep, and Penang's Hungry Ghost Festival around 5 Aug – 25 Sep.