September is beginning of autumn in Northern Vietnam, the beginning of the rainy season with pleasant temperatures in the Central Coast, the high rainy season with chilly or cold temperatures in the Central Highlands, and high rainy season with pleasant temperatures in Southern Vietnam.
In northern Vietnam, September is could either be dry weather with bright sunshine or rainy weather depending on each specific year. It is possible that there may be typhoons hitting northern Vietnam in September in which case expect torrential rain in the far northern mountains with possible flash foods and landslides.
The Central Coast starts having more rain and the rain lasts longer this month. While it is more often typhoons in September, if any, hit northern Vietnam, it is possible that the Central Coast may get hit by typhoons which cause incessant and torrential rain and floods, or flash floods in the mountains.
The Central Highlands are in high rainy season with longer lasting rain, and pleasant or chilly temperatures. Southern Vietnam also enjoys high rainy season in September with longer lasting rain and pleasant temperatures.
The sea is rough all over Vietnam in September, and sea exploration tours are not operable in most places. In case of strong typhoons, the sea can be rough all over Vietnam and travel by sea or by air between the islands and the inland is expected to be disrupted.
It is worth noting that Vietnam is a narrow country with a long coastline and the country is to be affected tremendously by any change in sea temperatures and/or climate change. This is the reason that the weather patterns in Vietnam nowadays may vary from year to year and could be totally different from the norm.
In May, June and July 2025, northern Vietnam and the Central Coast of the country had much more rain than normal and the averaged temperatures were much lower than normal.
In June 2025, there was heavy rain in all over Vietnam. The first typhoon in the East Sea in June 2025 caused torrential rain, flash floods and floods in the Central Coast of Vietnam from Quang Binh Province to Quang Nam Province, which was very different from usual. Northern Vietnam did not have much impact from this typhoon, except for a day to two with high temperatures.
In July 2025, there was heavy rain in all over Vietnam. At the end of July, there were heavy rain and strong gusts of wind in the North, in the Central Coast, in part of the Central Highlands and in southern Vietnam. Several houses in different regions in Vietnam had roofs blown away, trees felled by strong wind....
At the end of July 2025, the western region of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An Provinces suffered from floods and flash floods.
In mid August, there were strong gusts of wind which brought down big timber trees across the Nam Cat Tien area including the Cat Tien National Park. This type of extreme weather is not found here for decades.
At the end of August 2025, there was an extremely strong typhoon (No. 5 in 2025, coded Kajiki) making landfall between Nghe An and Ha Tinh. The typhoon hammered the North of the Central Coast of Vietnam with wind speeds of over 100kph for over 10 hours wreaking havoc across this region and causing heavy rain all over Vietnam. Floods were found in the provinces from Thanh Hoa to Ha Tinh, a flash flood took place in Lao Cai... The strong typhoon seemed to cause strong Southwesterly Wind in the Central Highlands and southern Vietnam, hence heavy rain in these two regions.
Right after Typhoon Kajiki, a tropical depression hit the mid Central Coast of Vietnam.
Monsoons in Vietnam in September
In September there are three main monsoons affecting Vietnam:
- The Southeasterly Monsoon which blows mostly in northern Vietnam which causes moist air and pleasant temperatures.
- The Westerly Wind as known locally in the Central Coast of Vietnam, which is actually the Southwesterly Wind coming from the Equator and is a foehn wind here. This foehn wind may have little impact on this region due to the present of the Intertropical Convergence Zone over the region.
- The Southwesterly Wind, which comes from the Equator, is a moist wind and is to cause daily rain and pleasant temperatures in the Central Highlands and in Southern Vietnam. This wind is more active in September and these two regions enter high rainy season this month.
What to expect from your holidays to Vietnam in September, where to go in Vietnam in September?
Taking the general weather conditions in Vietnam into consideration, for those travelers planning tours to Vietnam or those who are on holiday in Vietnam in September, then there are some notes as follows:
- In certain year, the end of September could be the time that northern Vietnam starts entering autumn with very pleasant weather patterns. In some other years, northern Vietnam could get more rain than usual in September.
In case it rains, the far northern mountains are more vulnerable to flash floods and landslides, venturing into these places is not recommended in September. In case of a typhoon in northern Vietnam, expect disruption in travel be it inland or between the inland and the islands all over the country. Typhoons in northern Vietnam or North of the Central Coast of Vietnam often cause torrential rain in the North and in the Central Coast, sometimes all over the country. Heavy rain often causes flash floods and landslides in the far northern mountain of Vietnam.
September is the beginning of the bird migration season and early birds make their way to northern Vietnam. This month is often a much better time for birding in northern Vietnam compared to the summer months (June-August). Many species may have come out the period of nesting and mating. Bird species are more gregarious in September thanks to pleasant temperatures mostly.
In the Central Coast of Vietnam, it is expected that your good bird watching experience is to be disrupted by more frequent rain. It happens that birding sites in the Central Coast are on high altitudes with very whimsy weather and with high rainfalls, or the biggest averaged annual rainfalls in Vietnam. When it rains, it is not recommended to make trips to these sites as it is potentially dangerous. And it is more likely that not that it rains in this region mostly in September.
September is not really a good time for birding in southern Vietnam and in the Central Highlands of Vietnam due to more and longer lasting rain.
Those who go to the sea are to expect rough sea all over Vietnam. It is more likely that sea exploration tours like scuba-diving, snorkeling... are not to be operable. In case of typhoons, travel between the islands and the inland of Vietnam is to be disrupted.
For those who plan trips to the Central Highlands, expect cloudy weather mostly and daily rain which lasts longer. It is high rainy season here in September. The temperatures are pleasant or chilly, or cold in places with high altitudes and pleasant temperatures in places with low altitudes.
Those planning holidays to Southern Vietnam in September, then you are likely to have pleasant temperatures. It is cloudy weather mostly in the South in September. And it often rains more this month here.
The beaches in Vung Tau, Long Hai and Mui Ne, Phan Thiet are good options near Saigon Ho Chi Minh City. These beaches may be very crowded at weekends or during public holidays.
Con Dao Islands, Phu Quoc Island are to have cloudy or rainy weather with lovely temperatures of 28-31oC. The sea is mostly rough.
