The most comfortable time to visit Cairns is from May to September. For sun, aim for late September to mid December.
When to go five ratings · thirty-six ten-day sections · click a cell to read it
For sun, go from late September to mid December, with a second spell from mid March to mid May. It peaks in mid October, at 82. Avoid late June to early August for this: it falls to 32, mostly because it is too cool. The clearest skies come in October, when the sky is typically 45% covered at midday (partly cloudy).
The being outside season here runs from May to September. It peaks in mid August, at 89. The weakest stretch is from December to early March, when it drops to 5, mostly because it is too hot.
Cairns never quite rates Good for walking. It comes closest in mid July, at 52, mostly because it is too warm. Avoid mid October to early April for this: it falls to 0, mostly because it is too warm.
The year, measured
The average temperature in Cairns over the whole year is 24°C. December is the hottest month, with highs of about 31°C; August is the coldest, with lows of about 18°C. The rainy (wet) season in Cairns runs from December to April, peaking in January with a 37% chance of rain on a given day. The dry season is May to November; October is the driest month, at 8%. Winds in Cairns are highest in May, averaging 5.0 m/s (18 km/h), and lightest in January, at 3.4 m/s (12 km/h). The prevailing wind is from the E. The clearest skies in Cairns come in October, when the sky is typically 56% covered; January is the cloudiest month, at 73%.
Month by month Cairns climate by month: average temperatures year round · click a month to read it
| Month | High | Low | Feels like | Chance of rain | Cloud | Wind | Being outside | Sun | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30°C | 25°C | 33°C | 37% | 73% | 3.4 m/s | 6 | 50 | 0 |
| February | 30°C | 25°C | 32°C | 32% | 72% | 3.4 m/s | 7 | 49 | 0 |
| March | 30°C | 24°C | 32°C | 31% | 70% | 3.6 m/s | 12 | 55 | 1 |
| April | 28°C | 23°C | 29°C | 23% | 69% | 4.7 m/s | 38 | 62 | 7 |
| May | 26°C | 21°C | 26°C | 16% | 71% | 5.0 m/s | 66 | 56 | 24 |
| June | 25°C | 19°C | 24°C | 9% | 70% | 4.8 m/s | 82 | 39 | 42 |
| July | 25°C | 18°C | 23°C | 9% | 69% | 4.6 m/s | 85 | 33 | 49 |
| August | 25°C | 18°C | 24°C | 8% | 66% | 4.6 m/s | 85 | 40 | 44 |
| September | 27°C | 20°C | 26°C | 8% | 63% | 4.6 m/s | 70 | 56 | 28 |
| October | 29°C | 22°C | 29°C | 8% | 56% | 3.8 m/s | 35 | 78 | 7 |
| November | 30°C | 23°C | 30°C | 10% | 61% | 3.7 m/s | 19 | 74 | 2 |
| December | 31°C | 24°C | 32°C | 23% | 67% | 3.5 m/s | 8 | 56 | 1 |
High and low are the warmest and coolest of four readings a day — midnight, 6am, noon and 6pm — so a true overnight low can sit a degree or two under them. Chance of rain, cloud and wind are the day’s average; feels-like and the three ratings (each out of 100: Good from 55, Ideal from 80) are read at midday.
Seasons, and the year in short Cairns weather by season
Year round, Cairns has days of about 25°C at their warmest in July, its coolest month, and 31°C in December, its warmest; the coolest hours of the day run from 18°C to 25°C through the year, and the average temperature over the year is 24°C around the clock. Rain is most likely around January and least likely around October. Every figure here is a decade of observations blended into one representative year, so it reads as what this date is usually like, not a forecast for one particular day.
Cairns weather in winterJune to August
Winter in Cairns has typical daily highs of about 25°C and lows of about 19°C, with a 9% chance of rain on a given day.
Cairns weather in springSeptember to November
Spring in Cairns has typical daily highs of about 29°C and lows of about 22°C, with a 8% chance of rain on a given day.
Cairns weather in summerDecember to February
Summer in Cairns has typical daily highs of about 30°C and lows of about 24°C, with a 31% chance of rain on a given day.
Cairns weather in autumnMarch to May
Autumn in Cairns has typical daily highs of about 28°C and lows of about 23°C, with a 23% chance of rain on a given day.
When is the rainy season in Cairns?
The rainy (wet) season in Cairns runs from December to April, peaking in January with a 37% chance of rain on a given day. The dry season is May to November; October is the driest month, at 8%.
What time of year is Cairns windiest?
Winds in Cairns are highest in May, averaging 5.0 m/s (18 km/h), and lightest in January, at 3.4 m/s (12 km/h). The prevailing wind is from the E.
What is the average temperature in Cairns year round?
The average temperature in Cairns over the whole year is 24°C. December is the hottest month, with highs of about 31°C; August is the coldest, with lows of about 18°C.
Where to go instead in early January, the weakest time here for being outside
How this is worked out
Every figure is a decade of weather-station observations blended into one typical year, in ten-day sections. The ratings, the chart and the feels-like column are read at midday local solar time. Being outside is the Easy outdoors rating, Sun is Sunbathing and Walking is Active outdoors, each out of 100: Good from 55, Ideal from 80. They describe what a time of year is usually like here, not a forecast. The dotted links open the map at that time of year; set its time of day to midday to see these numbers.