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Best time to visit · Queensland, Australia
July – September are the best time to visit Cairns on the climate data: August scores 92/100, with highs around 79°F (26°C) and 1.2 in (31 mm) of rain. May & June and October are good shoulder-season months. The toughest months are January – March, mainly because of rain.
Highs run from 76°F to 90°F across the year, and the yearly total is about 76.2 in (1935 mm) of rain.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high | 87°F31°C | 86°F30°C | 84°F29°C | 82°F28°C | 79°F26°C | 77°F25°C | 76°F25°C | 79°F26°C | 83°F28°C | 87°F30°C | 89°F31°C | 90°F32°C |
| Avg low | 76°F25°C | 77°F25°C | 75°F24°C | 72°F22°C | 69°F20°C | 66°F19°C | 64°F18°C | 64°F18°C | 67°F19°C | 70°F21°C | 73°F23°C | 75°F24°C |
| Rain | 13.9 in352 mm | 15.4 in392 mm | 15.4 in392 mm | 7.5 in191 mm | 4.1 in103 mm | 2.5 in63 mm | 2.1 in53 mm | 1.2 in31 mm | 1.2 in31 mm | 2.4 in62 mm | 3.4 in86 mm | 7.0 in179 mm |
| Humidity | 85% | 88% | 88% | 87% | 85% | 84% | 81% | 77% | 74% | 73% | 74% | 77% |
| Cloud | 71% | 68% | 69% | 56% | 50% | 50% | 45% | 38% | 34% | 36% | 44% | 54% |
| Comfort | 36 | 36 | 41 | 58 | 75 | 80 | 85 | 92 | 90 | 80 | 69 | 50 |
Source: NASA POWER (public domain), 2001–2025 monthly averages on a ~50 km satellite and reanalysis grid, so coasts and valleys can differ from what's shown. Temperatures were adjusted from the grid cell's ~404 m (1,326 ft) to Cairns's ~5 m (16 ft) elevation using the standard lapse rate of 6.5°C per 1,000 m. Precipitation includes snow as melted water; daylight is calculated from latitude. Check a forecast before you go.
Close to the tropics, rain does as much as temperature to shape the year in Cairns.
Temperatures climb through the season, from 77°F highs in June to 89°F by November. It's the driest half, with only about 12.8 in (326 mm) of rain, 17% of the year's total. June – August feel humid, with humidity near 84%. Comfort peaks here: July – September rank with the year's best, and the season averages 83/100.
Temperatures hold fairly even, with highs of 79–90°F (26–32°C). It's the wettest half, with about 63.3 in (1609 mm) of rain, 83% of the year's total. December – May feel humid, with humidity near 85%. Comfort scores bottom out in January – March; the season averages 49/100.
By comfort score: 6 Great, 1 Good, 2 Fair and 3 Tough. Great months: May – October. Tap a month for its own guide.
July – September are the best time to visit Cairns on the climate data: August scores 92/100, with highs around 79°F (26°C) and 1.2 in (31 mm) of rain. May & June and October are good shoulder-season months. The toughest months are January – March, mainly because of rain.
February is the wettest month, averaging about 15.4 in (392 mm) of rain. August is the driest, with about 1.2 in (31 mm). The yearly total is around 76.2 in (1935 mm).
July is the coldest, with average lows of 64°F (18°C) and highs of 76°F (25°C). The warmest is December, with average highs of 90°F (32°C).
Yes for much of the year: humidity averages 81% annually, and December – August combine warmth with 75%+ humidity, which feels sticky.
The wettest three-month stretch is January – March, with about 44.7 in (1136 mm) of rain combined. The driest stretch is July – September, with about 4.5 in (115 mm).
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