Cairns weather in October
In October, Cairns sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 20°C, with 32 mm of rain across 6.5 wet days and about 12.4 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% of the time in October, and the air most often feels muggy.
Daylight stretches from about 12 h 12 min at the start of October to 12 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Cairns's 1st-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cairns's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 26°
- 7th warmest
- Overnight low
- 20°
- 6th coldest
- Rainfall
- 32 mm
- 6.5 wet days
- Daylight
- 12 h 24 min
- 5:50 AM – 6:14 PM
- Cloud cover
- 40%
- 1st clearest
- Wind
- 11 km/h
- 7th windiest
- Solar energy
- 6.56 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 7.6
- out of 10
Cairns is city in Queensland, Australia.
- Density
- 314/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1876
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in October
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month.
A typical October day in Cairns reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 20°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 1°C warmer than September and about 1°C cooler than November.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
| Avg low (°C) | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | 19 |
| 2 | 25 | 19 |
| 3 | 25 | 19 |
| 4 | 25 | 19 |
| 5 | 25 | 20 |
| 6 | 25 | 20 |
| 7 | 25 | 20 |
| 8 | 25 | 20 |
| 9 | 25 | 20 |
| 10 | 25 | 20 |
| 11 | 26 | 20 |
| 12 | 26 | 20 |
| 13 | 26 | 20 |
| 14 | 26 | 20 |
| 15 | 26 | 20 |
| 16 | 26 | 20 |
| 17 | 26 | 20 |
| 18 | 26 | 20 |
| 19 | 26 | 20 |
| 20 | 26 | 20 |
| 21 | 26 | 20 |
| 22 | 26 | 20 |
| 23 | 26 | 21 |
| 24 | 26 | 21 |
| 25 | 26 | 21 |
| 26 | 26 | 21 |
| 27 | 26 | 21 |
| 28 | 26 | 21 |
| 29 | 26 | 21 |
| 30 | 26 | 21 |
| 31 | 26 | 21 |
How October really feels in Cairns
Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
October sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Cairns weather by month
How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 7th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28° / 23° | 246 | 21.3 | 12.9 | 4.2 |
| Feb | 28° / 24° | 254 | 20.7 | 12.6 | 4.0 |
| Mar | 28° / 23° | 206 | 17.9 | 12.1 | 5.2 |
| Apr | 26° / 21° | 94 | 12.7 | 11.6 | 6.3 |
| May | 24° / 20° | 41 | 9.5 | 11.2 | 7.1 |
| Jun | 23° / 18° | 27 | 7 | 11 | 7.4 |
| Jul | 22° / 17° | 27 | 5.9 | 11.1 | 7.5 |
| Aug | 23° / 17° | 24 | 5.5 | 11.4 | 7.7 |
| Sep | 24° / 18° | 14 | 4.1 | 11.9 | 8.2 |
| Oct | 26° / 20° | 32 | 6.5 | 12.4 | 7.6 |
| Nov | 27° / 22° | 57 | 10.4 | 12.8 | 6.6 |
| Dec | 28° / 23° | 142 | 16.1 | 13 | 5.2 |
Cloud cover in October
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% of the time in October, the clearest month of the year.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 25% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 24%.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 76 | 75 | 75 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 75 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 |
| Cloudier (%) | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 77 | 23 |
| 2 | 77 | 23 |
| 3 | 77 | 23 |
| 4 | 77 | 23 |
| 5 | 77 | 23 |
| 6 | 79 | 21 |
| 7 | 79 | 21 |
| 8 | 79 | 21 |
| 9 | 79 | 21 |
| 10 | 79 | 21 |
| 11 | 78 | 22 |
| 12 | 77 | 23 |
| 13 | 77 | 23 |
| 14 | 77 | 23 |
| 15 | 76 | 24 |
| 16 | 75 | 25 |
| 17 | 75 | 25 |
| 18 | 74 | 26 |
| 19 | 74 | 26 |
| 20 | 74 | 26 |
| 21 | 74 | 26 |
| 22 | 74 | 26 |
| 23 | 75 | 25 |
| 24 | 75 | 25 |
| 25 | 76 | 24 |
| 26 | 76 | 24 |
| 27 | 76 | 24 |
| 28 | 77 | 23 |
| 29 | 77 | 23 |
| 30 | 77 | 23 |
| 31 | 77 | 23 |
Chance of precipitation in October
Cairns gets around 32 mm of rain over 6.5 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 21% and peaks near 25% on the wettest days.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 16 |
| 2 | 16 |
| 3 | 17 |
| 4 | 17 |
| 5 | 18 |
| 6 | 19 |
| 7 | 19 |
| 8 | 20 |
| 9 | 20 |
| 10 | 21 |
| 11 | 21 |
| 12 | 22 |
| 13 | 23 |
| 14 | 24 |
| 15 | 24 |
| 16 | 25 |
| 17 | 25 |
| 18 | 25 |
| 19 | 25 |
| 20 | 25 |
| 21 | 24 |
| 22 | 23 |
| 23 | 23 |
| 24 | 22 |
| 25 | 21 |
| 26 | 21 |
| 27 | 20 |
| 28 | 20 |
| 29 | 19 |
| 30 | 19 |
| 31 | 19 |
Humidity in October
Most of October feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, October lands in the muggy band about 49% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 59% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comfortable (%) | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Humid (%) | 49 | 48 | 47 | 46 | 46 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 40 | 40 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 21 |
| Muggy (%) | 37 | 38 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 49 | 49 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 54 | 57 | 58 | 58 | 60 | 60 | 62 |
| Oppressive (%) | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 |
| Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 49 | 37 | 3 |
| 2 | 10 | 48 | 38 | 4 |
| 3 | 9 | 47 | 40 | 4 |
| 4 | 8 | 46 | 41 | 4 |
| 5 | 8 | 46 | 42 | 5 |
| 6 | 7 | 45 | 43 | 5 |
| 7 | 6 | 44 | 43 | 6 |
| 8 | 6 | 44 | 44 | 6 |
| 9 | 5 | 43 | 45 | 7 |
| 10 | 5 | 42 | 46 | 7 |
| 11 | 4 | 42 | 46 | 7 |
| 12 | 4 | 41 | 47 | 8 |
| 13 | 4 | 41 | 48 | 8 |
| 14 | 3 | 40 | 48 | 8 |
| 15 | 3 | 40 | 49 | 9 |
| 16 | 3 | 39 | 49 | 9 |
| 17 | 3 | 38 | 50 | 10 |
| 18 | 3 | 37 | 50 | 10 |
| 19 | 2 | 36 | 51 | 11 |
| 20 | 2 | 36 | 51 | 11 |
| 21 | 2 | 35 | 51 | 12 |
| 22 | 2 | 34 | 52 | 12 |
| 23 | 2 | 32 | 53 | 13 |
| 24 | 2 | 31 | 54 | 13 |
| 25 | 2 | 30 | 54 | 14 |
| 26 | 1 | 28 | 57 | 14 |
| 27 | 1 | 27 | 58 | 14 |
| 28 | 1 | 26 | 58 | 15 |
| 29 | 1 | 24 | 60 | 15 |
| 30 | 1 | 23 | 60 | 16 |
| 31 | 1 | 21 | 62 | 16 |
Wind in October
Winds average 11 km/h in October.
Across October, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 11 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | calm |
| 2 | 11 | calm |
| 3 | 11 | calm |
| 4 | 11 | calm |
| 5 | 11 | calm |
| 6 | 11 | calm |
| 7 | 11 | calm |
| 8 | 11 | calm |
| 9 | 11 | calm |
| 10 | 11 | calm |
| 11 | 11 | calm |
| 12 | 11 | calm |
| 13 | 11 | calm |
| 14 | 11 | calm |
| 15 | 11 | calm |
| 16 | 11 | calm |
| 17 | 11 | calm |
| 18 | 11 | calm |
| 19 | 11 | calm |
| 20 | 11 | calm |
| 21 | 11 | calm |
| 22 | 11 | calm |
| 23 | 11 | calm |
| 24 | 11 | calm |
| 25 | 11 | calm |
| 26 | 11 | calm |
| 27 | 11 | calm |
| 28 | 11 | calm |
| 29 | 11 | calm |
| 30 | 11 | calm |
| 31 | 11 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in October
Daylight runs from about 12 h 12 min at the start of October to 12 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 24 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:01 AM to 5:42 AM, and sunset from 6:10 PM to 6:19 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.3 | 12.3 | 12.3 | 12.3 | 12.3 | 12.3 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.5 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 12.6 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:00 | 5:59 | 5:58 | 5:57 | 5:57 | 5:56 | 5:55 | 5:54 | 5:54 | 5:53 | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:51 | 5:50 | 5:50 | 5:49 | 5:48 | 5:48 | 5:47 | 5:47 | 5:46 | 5:46 | 5:45 | 5:45 | 5:44 | 5:44 | 5:43 | 5:43 | 5:42 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:10 | 6:11 | 6:11 | 6:11 | 6:11 | 6:11 | 6:12 | 6:12 | 6:12 | 6:12 | 6:12 | 6:13 | 6:13 | 6:13 | 6:13 | 6:14 | 6:14 | 6:14 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:17 | 6:17 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:19 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.2 | 6:01 | 6:10 |
| 2 | 12.2 | 6:01 | 6:11 |
| 3 | 12.2 | 6:00 | 6:11 |
| 4 | 12.2 | 5:59 | 6:11 |
| 5 | 12.2 | 5:58 | 6:11 |
| 6 | 12.2 | 5:57 | 6:11 |
| 7 | 12.2 | 5:57 | 6:12 |
| 8 | 12.3 | 5:56 | 6:12 |
| 9 | 12.3 | 5:55 | 6:12 |
| 10 | 12.3 | 5:54 | 6:12 |
| 11 | 12.3 | 5:54 | 6:12 |
| 12 | 12.3 | 5:53 | 6:13 |
| 13 | 12.3 | 5:52 | 6:13 |
| 14 | 12.4 | 5:52 | 6:13 |
| 15 | 12.4 | 5:51 | 6:13 |
| 16 | 12.4 | 5:50 | 6:14 |
| 17 | 12.4 | 5:50 | 6:14 |
| 18 | 12.4 | 5:49 | 6:14 |
| 19 | 12.4 | 5:48 | 6:15 |
| 20 | 12.5 | 5:48 | 6:15 |
| 21 | 12.5 | 5:47 | 6:15 |
| 22 | 12.5 | 5:47 | 6:15 |
| 23 | 12.5 | 5:46 | 6:16 |
| 24 | 12.5 | 5:46 | 6:16 |
| 25 | 12.5 | 5:45 | 6:16 |
| 26 | 12.5 | 5:45 | 6:17 |
| 27 | 12.6 | 5:44 | 6:17 |
| 28 | 12.6 | 5:44 | 6:18 |
| 29 | 12.6 | 5:43 | 6:18 |
| 30 | 12.6 | 5:43 | 6:18 |
| 31 | 12.6 | 5:42 | 6:19 |
Solar energy in October
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 6.56 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.82 kWh/m² to a high of 6.68 kWh/m² in November across the year — October's 6.56 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.8 | 6.8 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 2 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 3 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 4 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 5 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 6 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 7 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 8 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 9 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 10 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 11 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 12 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 13 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 14 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 15 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 16 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 17 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 18 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 19 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 26 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 27 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.8 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Cairns
None of Cairns's seasonal hazards are active in October. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.
Cairns sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.
Cairns's monsoon runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is October a good time to visit Cairns?
Our two travel scores rate October for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
October is one of the better times to visit Cairns for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Cairns in October
From October's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In October, Cairns sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 20°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes. About 7 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Cairns in October
The nearest coast averages about 26°C in October — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 13 km away) is warmest in February at about 29°C and coldest in July near 24°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) | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 29 |
| Comfort | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Warm | Warm | Refreshing | Refreshing | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | Tropical |
| Feb | 29 | Tropical |
| Mar | 28 | Tropical |
| Apr | 27 | Warm |
| May | 26 | Warm |
| Jun | 24 | Warm |
| Jul | 24 | Refreshing |
| Aug | 24 | Refreshing |
| Sep | 25 | Warm |
| Oct | 26 | Warm |
| Nov | 27 | Warm |
| Dec | 29 | Tropical |
UV index in Cairns in October
Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Cairns peaks around February 11 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 8 (very 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 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | Extreme |
| Feb | 16 | Extreme |
| Mar | 14 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 9 | Very high |
| Jun | 8 | Very high |
| Jul | 8 | Very high |
| Aug | 10 | Very high |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 13 | Extreme |
| Nov | 13 | Extreme |
| Dec | 14 | Extreme |
Where is Cairns?
Cairns sits at 16.9°S, 145.8°E, 7 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Port Douglas, 58 km away.
Topography around Cairns
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Cairns.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Cairns has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 39 m around an average of 5 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,180 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,561 m.
The land around Cairns is covered by artificial surfaces (44%) and water (24%) within 3 km, trees (50%) and water (26%) within 16 km, and water (43%) and trees (40%) 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 Cairns (-16.9237°, 145.7661°, elevation 7 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).