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When is the best time to visit Cairns?
In general the best time to visit Cairns is probably September, when the weather is usually great. The hottest months are January, February, December, while the coldest months are June, July, August.
Depending on the activities you want to experience, you may choose different months to visit:
- The best time for a sunbathing holiday is January, February, December. Average maximum temperatures are up to +29°C in December and it has 3 sunny days on average.
- In general, it’s pleasant to walk and do outdoor activities during January - December.
- If you want to avoid wet weather, then your choice is January, February, March with the lowest chance of rain.
Average weather in Cairns in different months
This is the average weather in Cairns for each month based on historic data:
In September the weather is great. There are an average of 8 sunny days in September and the temperature ranges from +20°C to +26°C.
June, July, August, October usually has good weather. Average maximum temperature reaches +27°C during October.
In January, February, March, April, May, November, December the weather is average. Expect around 141 rainy days, and the precipitation amounts to approximately 290 mm in January.
Climate in Cairns
Here is the detailed breakdown of the climate in Cairns for each month:
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Temperature | |||||||||||
| +40°C | +39°C | +36°C | +34°C | +33°C | +32°C | +31°C | +31°C | +33°C | +34°C | +41°C | +38°C |
| Average Maximum Temperature | |||||||||||
| +29°C | +29°C | +28°C | +27°C | +26°C | +24°C | +23°C | +24°C | +26°C | +27°C | +28°C | +29°C |
| Minimum Temperature | |||||||||||
| +21°C | +20°C | +19°C | +16°C | +11°C | +10°C | +10°C | +10°C | +10°C | +16°C | +17°C | +19°C |
| Avg. water temperature | |||||||||||
| +31°C | +31°C | +30°C | +29°C | +28°C | +26°C | +25°C | +25°C | +27°C | +28°C | +29°C | +30°C |
| Humidity, % | |||||||||||
| 80 | 81 | 80 | 79 | 78 | 76 | 75 | 74 | 72 | 74 | 75 | 77 |
| Rain, mm | |||||||||||
| 290 | 263 | 226 | 121 | 62 | 34 | 31 | 27 | 20 | 31 | 68 | 170 |
| Snow, mm | |||||||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Average wind speed, m/s | |||||||||||
| 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Sunny Days | |||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| Cloud Days | |||||||||||
| 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 5 |
| Rainy Days | |||||||||||
| 22 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 18 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
| Snowy Days | |||||||||||
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Average Temperature
Here are the average maximum and minimum temperatures in Cairns during the whole year:
The hottest month in Cairns is December with average maximum temperature going up to +29°C. The coldest month is July with the lowest temperatures of +19°C.
Water temperature
Here are the water temperatures in Cairns during the whole year:
Cairns achieves its warmest water temperature in February, where the average sea temperature goes up to +29°C. Coldest water temperature is in July with +24°C in average.
When can you swim in Cairns?
You can swim in Cairns from January to December:
- In January - March the water is very warm (28°C);
- In April - November the water is warm (25°C - 28°C);
- In June - September the water is comfortable (21°C - 25°C);
Humidity
The temperature feels different depending on humidity. Here is how humidity in Cairns looks throughout the year, in %:
The most humid month in Cairns is February with average humidity going up to 81%. The least humid month is September with an average humidity of 72%.
Rain
Amount of rainfall in mm. in Cairns during the whole year based on historical data:
The sunniest and driest month is August with approximately 8 sunny days and a total precipitation of around 27 mm. The rainiest and wettest month is January with approximately 22 rainy days and 290 mm of total precipitation.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the weather in Cairns:
What is the hottest month in Cairns?
The hottest month in Cairns is December with average maximum temperature of +29°C.
What is the coldest month in Cairns?
The coldest month in Cairns is July with minimum temperatures of +19°C.
Is Cairns worth visiting in winter?
Winter in Cairns could be a good time to visit, as the weather is generally ok.
When does it rain the least in Cairns?
if you're looking to visit Cairns when it rains the least, you should plan your trip for January, February, March. During this time, rainfall is rare with the driest month being September with only 20 mm of rain.
Other cities in Australia
Check out the weather for other cities in Australia.
Monthly weather in Cairns
Source of the data
For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Cairns, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2023.
For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.