Cairns
Elevation 7 m16.93° S, 145.78° E
When to go?
Mean 28 °C, 18 rain days in the month (338 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the seawater at 29 °C
Against
- Hothighs of 31 °C
- Often rainyrain on 6 days in 10
- Torrential rain19 mm per rain day
Mean 28 °C, 17 rain days in the month (355 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the seawater at 29 °C
Against
- Hothighs of 31 °C
- Often rainyrain on 6 days in 10
- Torrential rain21 mm per rain day
Mean 27 °C, 15 rain days in the month (311 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the seawater at 28 °C
Against
- Hothighs of 31 °C
- Often rainyrain on 5 days in 10
- Torrential rain21 mm per rain day
Mean 26 °C, 11 rain days in the month (163 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the seawater at 27 °C
Against
- Hothighs of 29 °C
Mean 24 °C, 8 rain days in the month (66 mm).
Good for
- Ideal to visitTemperature and rain in the ideal range.
- Ideal for the seawater at 25 °C
Mean 23 °C, 7 rain days in the month (47 mm).
Good for
- Ideal to visitTemperature and rain in the ideal range.
- Ideal for the seawater at 24 °C
Mean 22 °C, 6 rain days in the month (46 mm).
Good for
- Ideal to visitTemperature and rain in the ideal range.
- Ideal for the seawater at 23 °C
Mean 23 °C, 5 rain days in the month (39 mm).
Good for
- Ideal to visitTemperature and rain in the ideal range.
- Ideal for the seawater at 23 °C
Mean 24 °C, 4 rain days in the month (29 mm).
Good for
- Ideal to visitTemperature and rain in the ideal range.
- Ideal for the seawater at 24 °C
Mean 26 °C, 5 rain days in the month (46 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the seawater at 26 °C
Against
- Hothighs of 30 °C
Mean 27 °C, 8 rain days in the month (77 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the seawater at 27 °C
Against
- Hothighs of 31 °C
Mean 28 °C, 12 rain days in the month (205 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the seawater at 28 °C
Against
- Hothighs of 31 °C
The best months are May–September. Ideal for the sea: all year. Avoid October–April (hot, at times often rainy and torrential rain).
What is the climate like?
Temperature and rain
Monthly min and max temperature (°C)
Monthly min and max temperature (°C)
Temperatures brought to the town's elevation: +1.3 °C (cells at 208 m).
How much it rains
Rain days and how much water
Rain days and how much water
Bars: length = rain days, thickness = mm on a rain day, area = the month's rain. 3 mm a day7 mm a day15 mm a day
Colour = the month's rain: 103060100160250400mm
Daylight hours
Daylight and sky: sunrise, sunset and cloud cover
daylight under a clear sky (average share)daylight under cloud
daylight under a clear sky (average share)daylight under cloud
Times on the 15th of each month, in local time: daylight saving where and when it applies, standard time in the other months.
Sea temperature: Great Barrier Reef
Monthly mean sea temperature: Great Barrier Reef (°C)
Monthly mean sea temperature: Great Barrier Reef (°C)
Effect of climate change
Today's climate (1996–2025) compared with 1961–1990:
In short
Year by year
Temperature of each year
Against 1961–1990 the mean temperature of today (1996–2025) has changed by +0.4 °C; in the last ten years by +0.8 °C. Warmest year: 2016 (+1.1 °C), coldest: 1982 (−0.6 °C).
June and February warmed the most (+0.7 and +0.5 °C), November the least (+0.1 °C).
Warming stripes: after an idea by Ed Hawkins (University of Reading), showyourstripes.info, CC BY 4.0.
Rain of each year (% against 1961–1990)
more rain than in 1961–1990less rain
Rain in a year: +4 % every ten years.
The sea, then and now
+0.4 °Cthe sea today, compared with 1961–1990