Average high temperature and rainfall for Panama in September. © 2023 Scott S. Bateman

Panama weather in September historically has heavy downpours of rain, as much as any place in the entire Caribbean.

Travelers visit three major vacation destinations in this Central American country. They are the Colon cruise port on the Caribbean coast, Panama City on the Pacific coast and Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean coast.

Colon and Panama City, which are only 46 miles apart, have similar weather because they are so close to each other. Despite being on opposite coasts, they also share the effects of two hurricane seasons. Panama City has the Pacific hurricane season from mid May to the end of November and Colon has the Caribbean hurricane season from June 1 to the end of November.

Panama Temperatures in September

Panama City and Colon have an average high temperature in September of 91 degrees Fahrenheit or 33 Celsius, Panama’s national meteorological service reports. The average nighttime temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit or 21 Celsius.

This video explains Caribbean weather in September and which islands are the best and worst to visit for weather. Full-Screen Version | YouTube Caribbean Channel

Bocas del Toro is 160 miles north of Colon. It has an average daytime temperature of 89 degrees Fahrenheit or 32 Celsius. The average nighttime temperature is 72 degrees Fahrenheit or 23 Celsius.

By comparison, temperatures are only a few degrees cooler in the winter.

Seawater for all three destinations in September will feel a bit cool in the early mornings and warm to balmy by mid afternoon.

Panama Rainy Season in September

Panama’s rainy season begins in May and gets worse by September. Colon and Panama City average 17 inches of rain during the month, according to the country’s meteorological service. It’s the second highest level of the year and one of the highest levels in the Caribbean. Bocas del Toro is nearly the same with an average of 16 inches.

In contrast, Colon and Panama City have only one inch or less from January through March. Bocas del Toro has a low of three inches in March and a high of 22 inches in December.

September is one of the riskiest weather months to visit Panama because of the high average level of rainfall.

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