Climate and average weather in Airlie Beach
In Airlie Beach, the summers are muggy, hot, wet, and partly cloudy and the winters are mild and mostly clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Airlie Beach typically varies from 18°C to 28°C, and is rarely below 15°C or above 30°C. February is the hottest month of the year, while July is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Airlie Beach for warm-weather activities is from early May to early December.
- Hottest
- Feb
- 28°
- Coldest
- Jul
- 18°
- Wettest
- Feb
- 233 mm
- Driest
- Sep
- 13 mm
- Rain / yr
- 1070 mm
- 125 wet days
- Daylight
- 10.8–13.2 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 0 m
- 20.3°S
- Clearest
- Sep
- 29% cloud
Airlie Beach is town in Queensland, Australia.
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Airlie Beach weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around early May to early December.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Airlie Beach, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in Airlie Beach stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is February, with an average high of 28°C and low of 25°C; the coolest is July, with an average low of 18°C and high of 21°C.
Days typically run about 3°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 28 |
| Avg low (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 25 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 25 |
| Feb | 28 | 25 |
| Mar | 27 | 25 |
| Apr | 26 | 23 |
| May | 24 | 21 |
| Jun | 22 | 19 |
| Jul | 21 | 18 |
| Aug | 22 | 18 |
| Sep | 23 | 20 |
| Oct | 25 | 22 |
| Nov | 27 | 24 |
| Dec | 28 | 25 |
How hot and cold Airlie Beach really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the hottest afternoons, once humidity is folded in, Airlie Beach feels like about 32°C (around January 31). About 13 days a year carry some heat stress, peaking in January.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 31 | 32 | 29 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 30 |
| Air high (°C) | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 28 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 25 |
| Air low (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 25 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 28 | 25 | 25 |
| Feb | 32 | 28 | 25 | 25 |
| Mar | 29 | 27 | 25 | 25 |
| Apr | 26 | 26 | 23 | 23 |
| May | 24 | 24 | 21 | 21 |
| Jun | 22 | 22 | 19 | 19 |
| Jul | 21 | 21 | 18 | 18 |
| Aug | 22 | 22 | 18 | 18 |
| Sep | 23 | 23 | 20 | 20 |
| Oct | 25 | 25 | 22 | 22 |
| Nov | 27 | 27 | 24 | 24 |
| Dec | 30 | 28 | 25 | 25 |
Average hourly temperature in Airlie Beach
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on February afternoons, near 28°C, and coldest before dawn in July, near 18°C.
Airlie Beach weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28° / 25° | 201 | 17.6 | 13.1 | 5.2 |
| Feb | 28° / 25° | 233 | 18.4 | 12.7 | 4.7 |
| Mar | 27° / 25° | 191 | 17.6 | 12.1 | 5.4 |
| Apr | 26° / 23° | 86 | 13.9 | 11.5 | 6.4 |
| May | 24° / 21° | 50 | 10.5 | 11.1 | 7.1 |
| Jun | 22° / 19° | 38 | 7.6 | 10.8 | 7.4 |
| Jul | 21° / 18° | 28 | 4.4 | 10.9 | 7.8 |
| Aug | 22° / 18° | 31 | 4.6 | 11.3 | 8.0 |
| Sep | 23° / 20° | 13 | 3.6 | 11.9 | 8.5 |
| Oct | 25° / 22° | 31 | 6.1 | 12.5 | 8.0 |
| Nov | 27° / 24° | 59 | 8.4 | 13 | 7.2 |
| Dec | 28° / 25° | 108 | 11.9 | 13.2 | 6.3 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Airlie Beach gets about 1070 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is often wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 5.2 months, from around Dec 11 to May 17, peaking in February at about 66% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Sep 17.
February is the wettest month by volume, with 233 mm over about 18 wet days; September is the driest, with 13 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 57 | 65 | 58 | 46 | 35 | 24 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 20 | 28 | 39 |
| Rain days | 18 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 12 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 18 |
| Feb | 65 | 18 |
| Mar | 58 | 18 |
| Apr | 46 | 14 |
| May | 35 | 11 |
| Jun | 24 | 8 |
| Jul | 15 | 4 |
| Aug | 14 | 5 |
| Sep | 13 | 4 |
| Oct | 20 | 6 |
| Nov | 28 | 8 |
| Dec | 39 | 12 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Airlie Beach collects about 1070 mm of rain across 125 wet days — roughly 89 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. February is the wettest month with 233 mm, while September is the driest at just 13 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 58% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 201 | 233 | 191 | 86 | 50 | 38 | 28 | 31 | 13 | 31 | 59 | 108 |
| Rain days | 18 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 12 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 201 | 18 |
| Feb | 233 | 18 |
| Mar | 191 | 18 |
| Apr | 86 | 14 |
| May | 50 | 11 |
| Jun | 38 | 8 |
| Jul | 28 | 4 |
| Aug | 31 | 5 |
| Sep | 13 | 4 |
| Oct | 31 | 6 |
| Nov | 59 | 8 |
| Dec | 108 | 12 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Airlie Beach, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around June 14 and lasts for 5.9 months, ending around December 10. The clearest month is September, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 87% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around December 11 and lasts for 3.8 months, ending around April 6. The cloudiest month is January, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 47% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 53 | 54 | 56 | 73 | 69 | 73 | 80 | 84 | 87 | 86 | 81 | 68 |
| Cloudier (%) | 47 | 46 | 44 | 27 | 31 | 27 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 32 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 47 |
| Feb | 54 | 46 |
| Mar | 56 | 44 |
| Apr | 73 | 27 |
| May | 69 | 31 |
| Jun | 73 | 27 |
| Jul | 80 | 20 |
| Aug | 84 | 16 |
| Sep | 87 | 13 |
| Oct | 86 | 14 |
| Nov | 81 | 19 |
| Dec | 68 | 32 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around January 1, brings about 13 h 12 min of light; the shortest, around June 3, only 10 h 48 min — a swing of roughly 2 h 24 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 13.1 | 12.7 | 12.1 | 11.5 | 11.1 | 10.8 | 10.9 | 11.3 | 11.9 | 12.5 | 13.0 | 13.2 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:41 | 5:59 | 6:10 | 6:19 | 6:30 | 6:42 | 6:44 | 6:30 | 6:03 | 5:36 | 5:21 | 5:25 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:48 | 6:40 | 6:19 | 5:51 | 5:33 | 5:29 | 5:37 | 5:48 | 5:56 | 6:04 | 6:20 | 6:38 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13.1 | 5:41 | 6:48 |
| Feb | 12.7 | 5:59 | 6:40 |
| Mar | 12.1 | 6:10 | 6:19 |
| Apr | 11.5 | 6:19 | 5:51 |
| May | 11.1 | 6:30 | 5:33 |
| Jun | 10.8 | 6:42 | 5:29 |
| Jul | 10.9 | 6:44 | 5:37 |
| Aug | 11.3 | 6:30 | 5:48 |
| Sep | 11.9 | 6:03 | 5:56 |
| Oct | 12.5 | 5:36 | 6:04 |
| Nov | 13.0 | 5:21 | 6:20 |
| Dec | 13.2 | 5:25 | 6:38 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Airlie Beach averages about 16 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 10 and 23 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 5.8 months, from around Jun 14 to Dec 7. The sunniest month is September, with roughly 22 sunny days (bright).
The greyest month is March, down near 11 sunny days — about 47% fewer than the September peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 11 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 15 |
| Sky | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Mixed |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Mixed |
| Feb | 10 | Mixed |
| Mar | 12 | Mixed |
| Apr | 15 | Bright |
| May | 15 | Bright |
| Jun | 16 | Bright |
| Jul | 20 | Bright |
| Aug | 21 | Bright |
| Sep | 21 | Bright |
| Oct | 21 | Bright |
| Nov | 18 | Bright |
| Dec | 15 | Mixed |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Airlie Beach, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 7.8 months, from around September 23 to May 18. The muggiest month is January, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 100% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around May 19 to September 22, and July is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 50% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 20 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 22 | 29 | 31 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 30 | 41 | 39 | 42 | 45 | 28 | 9 | 1 |
| Muggy (%) | 9 | 4 | 18 | 52 | 51 | 22 | 11 | 12 | 32 | 50 | 47 | 25 |
| Oppressive (%) | 58 | 57 | 61 | 38 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 41 | 57 |
| Miserable (%) | 32 | 39 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 16 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 58 | 32 |
| Feb | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 57 | 39 |
| Mar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 61 | 20 |
| Apr | 0 | 1 | 6 | 52 | 38 | 3 |
| May | 4 | 9 | 30 | 51 | 7 | 0 |
| Jun | 14 | 22 | 41 | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| Jul | 20 | 29 | 39 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 14 | 31 | 42 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 3 | 16 | 45 | 32 | 4 | 0 |
| Oct | 0 | 4 | 28 | 50 | 18 | 1 |
| Nov | 0 | 1 | 9 | 47 | 41 | 3 |
| Dec | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 57 | 16 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Airlie Beach is typically light breeze, near 18 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 4.4 months, from around Feb 19 to Jul 3. The windiest month is April, averaging about 21 km/h (breezy).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Jul 4 to Jan 6, with September the calmest month at about 16 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 19 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | breezy | breezy | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19 | light breeze |
| Feb | 19 | light breeze |
| Mar | 21 | breezy |
| Apr | 21 | breezy |
| May | 20 | light breeze |
| Jun | 19 | light breeze |
| Jul | 18 | light breeze |
| Aug | 16 | light breeze |
| Sep | 16 | light breeze |
| Oct | 17 | light breeze |
| Nov | 17 | light breeze |
| Dec | 18 | light breeze |
Hazard calendar for Airlie Beach
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Airlie Beach sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.
Airlie Beach's monsoon runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit Airlie Beach
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Airlie Beach throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid May, Airlie Beach is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Airlie Beach for general outdoor tourist activities is from early May to early December, with a peak score in the last week of September.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 5.2 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 6.4 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 8.4 | 8.0 | 7.2 | 6.3 |
| Rating | fair | fair | fair | good | good | good | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | good | good |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.2 | fair |
| Feb | 4.8 | fair |
| Mar | 5.4 | fair |
| Apr | 6.4 | good |
| May | 7.1 | good |
| Jun | 7.4 | good |
| Jul | 7.8 | ideal |
| Aug | 8.0 | ideal |
| Sep | 8.4 | ideal |
| Oct | 8.0 | ideal |
| Nov | 7.2 | good |
| Dec | 6.3 | good |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Airlie Beach for hot-weather activities run from mid April to mid May and again from early September to early January, with a peak score in the first week of October.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Airlie Beach, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around February (highs near 28°C), the essentials are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. In the cold season around July (highs near 21°C), pack a light layer.
In February, Airlie Beach sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 18 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Airlie Beach
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 18 km away) is warmest in February at about 29°C and coldest in August near 22°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 28 |
| Comfort | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Warm | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Warm | Warm | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | Tropical |
| Feb | 29 | Tropical |
| Mar | 28 | Tropical |
| Apr | 27 | Warm |
| May | 25 | Warm |
| Jun | 23 | Refreshing |
| Jul | 22 | Refreshing |
| Aug | 22 | Refreshing |
| Sep | 24 | Refreshing |
| Oct | 25 | Warm |
| Nov | 27 | Warm |
| Dec | 28 | Warm |
UV index (midday) in Airlie Beach by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Airlie Beach peaks around February 9 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 7 (high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 16 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | Extreme |
| Feb | 16 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 11 | Extreme |
| May | 8 | Very high |
| Jun | 7 | High |
| Jul | 7 | High |
| Aug | 8 | Very high |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 13 | Extreme |
| Dec | 13 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Airlie Beach
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in February the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8.5 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 7 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 9 | 8.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 4 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | 7.5 |
| Feb | 8.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 8 | 6.5 |
| Apr | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| May | 6.5 | 3.5 |
| Jun | 5.5 | 2.5 |
| Jul | 6 | 2.5 |
| Aug | 6.5 | 4 |
| Sep | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Oct | 8 | 6 |
| Nov | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Dec | 9 | 7 |
Air quality in Airlie Beach by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Airlie Beach is worst in November — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.6× the cleanest month (July, 4 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 7 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Good |
| Feb | 6 | Good |
| Mar | 6 | Good |
| Apr | 5 | Good |
| May | 5 | Good |
| Jun | 5 | Good |
| Jul | 4 | Good |
| Aug | 5 | Good |
| Sep | 6 | Good |
| Oct | 8 | Good |
| Nov | 15 | Moderate |
| Dec | 7 | Good |
Growing season
Airlie Beach is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Airlie Beach banks about 4,915 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around February.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 515 | 468 | 494 | 430 | 379 | 308 | 292 | 306 | 348 | 418 | 452 | 504 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 515 |
| Feb | 468 |
| Mar | 494 |
| Apr | 430 |
| May | 379 |
| Jun | 308 |
| Jul | 292 |
| Aug | 306 |
| Sep | 348 |
| Oct | 418 |
| Nov | 452 |
| Dec | 504 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Airlie Beach receives about 5.6 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.9 and 7.1 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.3 months, from around Sep 5 to Mar 15. The brightest month is December, averaging about 7.0 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is June, down near 3.9 kWh/m² — roughly 45% less than the December peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 6.7 | 6.1 | 5.7 | 5.0 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 5.0 | 6.1 | 6.7 | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.7 | Intense |
| Feb | 6.1 | Intense |
| Mar | 5.7 | Bright |
| Apr | 5.0 | Bright |
| May | 4.3 | Bright |
| Jun | 3.9 | Moderate |
| Jul | 4.2 | Bright |
| Aug | 5.0 | Bright |
| Sep | 6.1 | Intense |
| Oct | 6.7 | Intense |
| Nov | 7.0 | Intense |
| Dec | 7.0 | Intense |
Where is Airlie Beach?
Airlie Beach sits at 20.3°S, 148.7°E, 0 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Mackay, 109 km away.
Topography around Airlie Beach
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Airlie Beach.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Airlie Beach has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 436 m around an average of 50 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 657 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,146 m.
The land around Airlie Beach is covered by water (52%) and trees (36%) within 3 km, trees (46%) and water (46%) within 16 km, and water (58%) and trees (25%) within 80 km.
Australia travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 1
- Exercise Normal Precautions
- Power plugs
- Type I
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 90% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $65,130
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.9 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Homicide rate
- 0.9
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 4.9
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Airlie Beach (-20.2675°, 148.7147°, elevation 0 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).