Our verdict
The best time to visit Cairns is March-April
In the summer months, temperatures can reach as high as 32℃ (89℉) in Cairns. The weather at night in the winter can get down to temperatures as low as 17℃ (62℉).
If you’re a sun-chaser and want to visit Cairns when the days are longest, you should visit in October. On average it rains the most days in January, making it the wettest month of the year. Although it’s the wet season, it can often rain a little bit during the day or evening but have fine weather for a majority of the day too, so don’t let this put you off.
Continue reading to find out more about when to visit Cairns, including the climate, seasonal info, what to pack, FAQs, and the best tools to help you plan and book your next vacation.
Quick links: Fast facts / Seasons / Average temperatures / Monthly climate / FAQs / Map
*Support us by clicking the links above and making a booking with our partners. It's completely free for you, and it helps us make this site even more awesome! We'll <3 you for it.
Cairns seasons
Before you continue, it’s important to know when the seasons are in Cairns as they might be different to yours depending on where in the world you’re travelling from. Cairns is in the Southern Hemisphere, so the seasons fall during these months:
| Season | Months |
|---|---|
| Summer | December to February |
| Autumn/fall | March to May |
| Winter | June to August |
| Spring | September to November |
Average temperatures in Cairns
If the temperature is a big factor for you to help you decide when to visit, the chart below shows the average minimum and maximum temperatures in Cairns for each month side-by-side so you can easily see the difference in weather throughout the year. To see the temperatures in both Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F), hover or tap the shaded boxes on the graph.
Cairns climate by month
If you already have a rough idea about which months you might want to travel, the section below shows a detailed breakdown of the climate in Cairns for each month so you can see if it all suits your wants and needs. Scroll down, or use the quick menu below to jump to your preferred month.
Jump to:
Cairns in January
- Average temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
- Average high temperature: 29℃ (85℉)
- Average low temperature: 24℃ (76℉)
- Average humidity: 80%
- Average sunny days: 6 days
- Average rainfall: 162mm (6") over 22 days
of pure sunshine
of showers or rain
What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in January, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.
Add visitor or local insider tips >
Cairns in February
- Average temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
- Average high temperature: 29℃ (85℉)
- Average low temperature: 24℃ (76℉)
- Average humidity: 79%
- Average sunny days: 6 days
- Average rainfall: 123mm (5") over 20 days
of pure sunshine
of showers or rain
What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in February, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.
Add visitor or local insider tips >
Cairns in March
- Average temperature: 26℃ (78℉)
- Average high temperature: 28℃ (83℉)
- Average low temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
- Average humidity: 81%
- Average sunny days: 7 days
- Average rainfall: 110mm (4") over 22 days
of pure sunshine
of showers or rain
What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in March, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.
Add visitor or local insider tips >
Cairns in April
- Average temperature: 24℃ (76℉)
- Average high temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
- Average low temperature: 22℃ (72℉)
- Average humidity: 80%
- Average sunny days: 12 days
- Average rainfall: 44mm (2") over 15 days
of pure sunshine
of showers or rain
What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in April, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.
Add visitor or local insider tips >
Cairns in May
- Average temperature: 23℃ (73℉)
- Average high temperature: 25℃ (77℉)
- Average low temperature: 21℃ (69℉)
- Average humidity: 79%
- Average sunny days: 13 days
- Average rainfall: 27mm (1") over 14 days
of pure sunshine
of showers or rain
What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in May, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.
Add visitor or local insider tips >
Cairns in June
- Average temperature: 21℃ (70℉)
- Average high temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
- Average low temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
- Average humidity: 78%
- Average sunny days: 16 days
- Average rainfall: 15mm (1") over 11 days
of pure sunshine
of showers or rain
What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in June, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.
Add visitor or local insider tips >
Cairns in July
- Average temperature: 21℃ (69℉)
- Average high temperature: 23℃ (74℉)
- Average low temperature: 18℃ (65℉)
- Average humidity: 78%
- Average sunny days: 14 days
- Average rainfall: 15mm (1") over 11 days
of pure sunshine
of showers or rain
What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in July, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.
Add visitor or local insider tips >
Cairns in August
- Average temperature: 21℃ (69℉)
- Average high temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
- Average low temperature: 18℃ (64℉)
- Average humidity: 75%
- Average sunny days: 18 days
- Average rainfall: 10mm (0") over 8 days
of pure sunshine
of showers or rain
What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in August, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.
Add visitor or local insider tips >
Cairns in September
- Average temperature: 22℃ (72℉)
- Average high temperature: 26℃ (78℉)
- Average low temperature: 19℃ (67℉)
- Average humidity: 74%
- Average sunny days: 17 days
- Average rainfall: 9mm (0") over 7 days
of pure sunshine
of showers or rain
What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in September, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.
Cairns in October
- Average temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
- Average high temperature: 27℃ (81℉)
- Average low temperature: 21℃ (70℉)
- Average humidity: 74%
- Average sunny days: 19 days
- Average rainfall: 24mm (1") over 8 days
of pure sunshine
of showers or rain
What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in October, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.
Add visitor or local insider tips >
Cairns in November
- Average temperature: 25℃ (78℉)
- Average high temperature: 28℃ (83℉)
- Average low temperature: 23℃ (72℉)
- Average humidity: 75%
- Average sunny days: 13 days
- Average rainfall: 26mm (1") over 12 days
of pure sunshine
of showers or rain
What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in November, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.
Add visitor or local insider tips >
Cairns in December
- Average temperature: 26℃ (79℉)
- Average high temperature: 29℃ (85℉)
- Average low temperature: 24℃ (74℉)
- Average humidity: 76%
- Average sunny days: 12 days
- Average rainfall: 79mm (3") over 15 days
of pure sunshine
of showers or rain
What to pack: If you’re heading to Cairns in December, make sure you pack t-shirts and light clothing.
Add visitor or local insider tips >
