Cairns Weather
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Cairns is hot, damn hot. With an average annual maximum temperature of 29°C and 62% humidity it's one of the most balmy cities in Australia. During summer you can't even swim in the ocean because there's too many box jellyfish around, so if you're staying in Cairns, or thinking of moving, make sure your place has air conditioning and a pool.
The Dangerous Marine Stinger season typically runs from November to May (subject to seasonal variability). View current beaches status here.
So you can't say you weren't warned, a range of Cairns weather readings, forecasts and statistics appears below.
Cairns Climate
For most of the year the climate in Cairns is simply perfect: blue skies, warm weather and gentle breezes but there are only two seasons - the wet and the dry.
The wet season lasts from November to May. With some months averaging over 400 mm of rainfall. The dry season runs from June to October with rainfall averaging approximately 35 mm. During the wet seasons tropical cyclones (hurricanes) can influence the weather, but Cairns is built to survive the elements and has weathered scores of cyclones in the past.
Cairns Weather Forecasts
- Qwikcast has an easy to read Cairns weather forecast
- The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has the official Cairns weather forecast, but it's a little hard to read
Cairns Weather Historical Data
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average daily max | 31.4 | 31.1 | 30.5 | 29.2 | 27.6 | 25.9 | 25.7 | 26.5 | 27.9 | 29.5 | 30.6 | 31.3 | 28.9 |
| Average days over 30 | 25.7 | 21.7 | 21.4 | 10 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 11.5 | 20.8 | 26.1 | 140.8 |
| Highest daily temp | 40.4 | 38.9 | 37.7 | 36.8 | 31.3 | 30.8 | 30.1 | 31.4 | 33.9 | 36 | 37.2 | 40.5 | 40.5 |
| Average daily minimum | 23.6 | 23.7 | 23 | 21.6 | 19.8 | 17.7 | 17 | 17.4 | 18.6 | 20.6 | 22.3 | 23.3 | 20.7 |
| Lowest daily minimum | 18.2 | 17.9 | 18.5 | 13 | 10.1 | 6.2 | 7.3 | 7.8 | 11.1 | 12.4 | 14.6 | 17.1 | 6.2 |
| Average % humidity at 3pm | 66 | 69 | 67 | 65 | 64 | 61 | 57 | 56 | 55 | 57 | 60 | 62 | 62 |
| Average monthly rainfall - mm | 387.5 | 448.7 | 409.1 | 198.3 | 94.1 | 46.9 | 28.7 | 27.9 | 35.1 | 40.1 | 95.6 | 180 | 1992 |
| Average rainy days | 17.8 | 19.1 | 19.1 | 17.7 | 13.7 | 9.5 | 8.8 | 8.1 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 10 | 13.7 | 153.3 |
| Average cloudy days | 15.8 | 17.5 | 16.3 | 13.7 | 12.5 | 10 | 9.8 | 7.6 | 5.8 | 5.4 | 7.5 | 11.8 | 133.6 |
| Average daily hours of sunshine | 6.9 | 6 | 6.5 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.9 | 8.5 | 8.8 | 8.4 | 7.7 | 7.4 |
Historical data provided by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology