Where is hot in September on a short-haul flight?

September in brief (short-haul)

Marrakech leads the table with 31°C by day and 17°C at night and 3 rainy days (3 h 36 min from London). Sousse leads with 31°C by day and 21°C at night, a 26°C sea and 5 rainy days (3 h 6 min from London). Seville leads with 30°C by day and 19°C at night and 4 rainy days (2 h 42 min from London). Antalya leads with 30°C by day and 20°C at night, a 28°C sea and 2 rainy days (4 h 24 min from London). Kusadasi leads with 30°C by day and 20°C at night, a 23°C sea and 2 rainy days (4 h from London).

Warm rather than hot (20-25°C): Lisbon 25°C, Florence 25°C, Lanzarote 25°C, Lloret de Mar 25°C, Halkidiki 25°C, Budva 25°C and 28 more. Hot but wet - over 25°C with more than eight rainy days: Saranda (8 days), Salou (9 days), Rome (9 days), Naples (9 days). Over 30°C by day: Marrakech, Sousse, Seville, Antalya. For scale, London averages 19°C in September.

By flight time from London

• Under 3 hours: Seville 30°C, Albufeira 28°C, Costa de la Luz 28°C, Benidorm 27°C, Ibiza 27°C, Valencia 27°C, Alicante 27°C, Majorca 27°C
• 3 to 4.5 hours: Marrakech 31°C, Sousse 31°C, Antalya 30°C, Kusadasi 30°C, Marmaris 30°C, Fethiye 30°C, Agadir 29°C, Crete 28°C

By region

• Europe: 74 destinations, warmest Seville (30°C)
• Africa: 4 destinations, warmest Marrakech (31°C)

For the hottest days, choose Sousse, Marrakech or Seville

Sousse and Marrakech both reach 31°C, but they suit different trips. Sousse combines a 26°C sea with nights around 21°C, making it the better fit for swimming and warm evenings. Its flight takes 3 h 6 min, with 5 rainy days in September. Marrakech suits travellers who prioritise daytime heat over the sea: nights fall to 16°C, so pack a light layer rather than assuming the warmth lasts after dark. Seville offers 30°C days with a shorter flight of 2 h 42 min. All demand some thought about timing: plan more active outings away from midday and leave room for shade and slower afternoons.

For warm swimming water, Turkey earns the longer flight

Antalya is the clearest choice if a warm sea matters more than a short journey. Its 30°C days come with a 28°C sea and 2 rainy days, though the flight takes 4 h 24 min. Marmaris offers the same daytime heat and rainy-day figure, with a 26°C sea and warmer nights at 22°C. Fethiye also suits swimming-focused travellers, with water at 27°C. Kusadasi needs more care: its days are just as hot, but the sea is cooler at 23°C. Agadir makes the contrast sharper still. It has 29°C days and just 1 rainy day, but a 20°C sea. Choose it for relatively dry warmth rather than expecting equally warm water.

For less intense heat, weigh swimming against flight time

Crete offers a gentler balance than the hottest choices, with 28°C days, a 25°C sea and 3 rainy days. The catch is a flight of 4 h 6 min. Albufeira matches that daytime temperature with a shorter journey of 2 h 54 min, but its 21°C sea is a cooler proposition for swimming, and nights drop to 18°C. If even that daytime warmth sounds too much, Lisbon and Lanzarote sit at 25°C, while Barcelona, Nice and Madeira reach 24°C. These suit travellers who prefer milder days to strong heat. Do not treat warmth as a promise of dry weather: Salou, Rome and Naples each have 9 rainy days.