Climate and average weather in Karratha
In Karratha, the summers are muggy, hot, fairly dry, and mostly clear and the winters are warm and clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Karratha typically varies from 18°C to 32°C, and is rarely below 16°C or above 35°C. March is the hottest month of the year, while July is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Karratha for warm-weather activities is from mid May to mid October.
- Hottest
- Mar
- 32°
- Coldest
- Jul
- 18°
- Wettest
- Feb
- 81 mm
- Driest
- Oct
- 1 mm
- Rain / yr
- 314 mm
- 23 wet days
- Daylight
- 10.7–13.3 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 20 m
- 20.7°S
- Clearest
- Oct
- 8% cloud
Karratha is town in Western Australia.
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Karratha 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 mid May to mid October.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Karratha, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 5.2 months, from November 18 to April 25, with daily high temperatures above 30°C. The hottest month of the year in Karratha is March, with an average high of 32°C and low of 28°C.
The cool season lasts 3.0 months, from June 3 to August 31, with daily high temperatures below 26°C. The coldest month of the year in Karratha is July, with an average low of 18°C and high of 24°C.
Days typically run about 5°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Avg low (°C) | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 26 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 27 |
| Feb | 32 | 28 |
| Mar | 32 | 28 |
| Apr | 31 | 26 |
| May | 28 | 22 |
| Jun | 25 | 19 |
| Jul | 24 | 18 |
| Aug | 25 | 19 |
| Sep | 27 | 20 |
| Oct | 29 | 23 |
| Nov | 30 | 25 |
| Dec | 31 | 26 |
How hot and cold Karratha 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, Karratha feels like about 38°C (around February 15). About 140 days a year carry some heat stress, peaking in February.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 37 | 37 | 36 | 32 | 28 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 34 |
| Air high (°C) | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 26 |
| Air low (°C) | 27 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 26 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 32 | 27 | 27 |
| Feb | 37 | 32 | 28 | 28 |
| Mar | 36 | 32 | 28 | 28 |
| Apr | 32 | 31 | 26 | 26 |
| May | 28 | 28 | 22 | 22 |
| Jun | 25 | 25 | 19 | 19 |
| Jul | 24 | 24 | 18 | 18 |
| Aug | 25 | 25 | 18 | 19 |
| Sep | 27 | 27 | 20 | 20 |
| Oct | 29 | 29 | 23 | 23 |
| Nov | 31 | 30 | 25 | 25 |
| Dec | 34 | 31 | 26 | 26 |
Average hourly temperature in Karratha
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 March afternoons, near 32°C, and coldest before dawn in July, near 18°C.
Karratha 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 | 32° / 27° | 45 | 3.9 | 13.1 | 5.0 |
| Feb | 32° / 28° | 81 | 4.9 | 12.7 | 4.8 |
| Mar | 32° / 28° | 68 | 3.4 | 12.1 | 4.8 |
| Apr | 31° / 26° | 25 | 1.7 | 11.5 | 5.8 |
| May | 28° / 22° | 25 | 2.6 | 11 | 7.8 |
| Jun | 25° / 19° | 31 | 2.7 | 10.8 | 8.7 |
| Jul | 24° / 18° | 12 | 1.3 | 10.9 | 9.3 |
| Aug | 25° / 19° | 3 | 0.5 | 11.3 | 9.5 |
| Sep | 27° / 20° | 2 | 0.2 | 11.9 | 9.1 |
| Oct | 29° / 23° | 1 | 0.2 | 12.5 | 7.7 |
| Nov | 30° / 25° | 1 | 0.2 | 13 | 6.8 |
| Dec | 31° / 26° | 20 | 1.2 | 13.2 | 5.8 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Karratha gets about 314 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is mostly dry, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 3.3 months, from around Dec 31 to Apr 9, peaking in February at about 19% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Sep 22.
February is the wettest month by volume, with 81 mm over about 5 wet days; October is the driest, with 1 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 12 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Rain days | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12 | 4 |
| Feb | 17 | 5 |
| Mar | 11 | 3 |
| Apr | 6 | 2 |
| May | 8 | 3 |
| Jun | 9 | 3 |
| Jul | 4 | 1 |
| Aug | 1 | 1 |
| Sep | 1 | 0 |
| Oct | 1 | 0 |
| Nov | 1 | 0 |
| Dec | 4 | 1 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Karratha collects about 314 mm of rain across 23 wet days — roughly 26 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. February is the wettest month with 81 mm, while October is the driest at just 1 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 62% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 45 | 81 | 68 | 25 | 25 | 31 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 20 |
| Rain days | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 4 |
| Feb | 81 | 5 |
| Mar | 68 | 3 |
| Apr | 25 | 2 |
| May | 25 | 3 |
| Jun | 31 | 3 |
| Jul | 12 | 1 |
| Aug | 3 | 1 |
| Sep | 2 | 0 |
| Oct | 1 | 0 |
| Nov | 1 | 0 |
| Dec | 20 | 1 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Karratha, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around June 27 and lasts for 6.3 months, ending around January 4. The clearest month is October, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 97% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around January 5 and lasts for 5.7 months, ending around June 26. The cloudiest month is February, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 29% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 78 | 71 | 77 | 76 | 80 | 80 | 90 | 94 | 96 | 97 | 95 | 89 |
| Cloudier (%) | 22 | 29 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 11 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78 | 22 |
| Feb | 71 | 29 |
| Mar | 77 | 23 |
| Apr | 76 | 24 |
| May | 80 | 20 |
| Jun | 80 | 20 |
| Jul | 90 | 10 |
| Aug | 94 | 6 |
| Sep | 96 | 4 |
| Oct | 97 | 3 |
| Nov | 95 | 5 |
| Dec | 89 | 11 |
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 December 16, brings about 13 h 18 min of light; the shortest, around June 16, only 10 h 42 min — a swing of roughly 2 h 36 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 13.1 | 12.7 | 12.1 | 11.5 | 11.0 | 10.8 | 10.9 | 11.3 | 11.9 | 12.5 | 13.0 | 13.2 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:48 | 6:06 | 6:18 | 6:27 | 6:38 | 6:50 | 6:53 | 6:38 | 6:10 | 5:43 | 5:28 | 5:31 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:56 | 6:48 | 6:27 | 5:59 | 5:39 | 5:35 | 5:44 | 5:55 | 6:03 | 6:12 | 6:28 | 6:46 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13.1 | 5:48 | 6:56 |
| Feb | 12.7 | 6:06 | 6:48 |
| Mar | 12.1 | 6:18 | 6:27 |
| Apr | 11.5 | 6:27 | 5:59 |
| May | 11.0 | 6:38 | 5:39 |
| Jun | 10.8 | 6:50 | 5:35 |
| Jul | 10.9 | 6:53 | 5:44 |
| Aug | 11.3 | 6:38 | 5:55 |
| Sep | 11.9 | 6:10 | 6:03 |
| Oct | 12.5 | 5:43 | 6:12 |
| Nov | 13.0 | 5:28 | 6:28 |
| Dec | 13.2 | 5:31 | 6:46 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Karratha averages about 24 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 18 and 29 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 6.2 months, from around Jun 29 to Jan 4. The sunniest month is October, with roughly 29 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is February, down near 19 sunny days — about 34% fewer than the October peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 22 | 17 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 26 |
| Sky | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | Bright |
| Feb | 17 | Bright |
| Mar | 21 | Bright |
| Apr | 20 | Bright |
| May | 22 | Bright |
| Jun | 22 | Bright |
| Jul | 26 | Brilliant |
| Aug | 28 | Brilliant |
| Sep | 27 | Brilliant |
| Oct | 29 | Brilliant |
| Nov | 27 | Brilliant |
| Dec | 26 | Brilliant |
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 Karratha, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 6.3 months, from around October 25 to May 5. 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 6 to October 24, and July is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 87% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 28 | 53 | 67 | 65 | 43 | 16 | 5 | 1 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 35 | 35 | 17 | 5 |
| Humid (%) | 5 | 1 | 8 | 22 | 23 | 16 | 10 | 11 | 19 | 34 | 36 | 15 |
| Muggy (%) | 15 | 11 | 21 | 37 | 20 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 31 | 31 |
| Oppressive (%) | 43 | 39 | 39 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 37 |
| Miserable (%) | 38 | 49 | 30 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 0 | 5 | 15 | 43 | 38 |
| Feb | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 39 | 49 |
| Mar | 0 | 2 | 8 | 21 | 39 | 30 |
| Apr | 4 | 9 | 22 | 37 | 23 | 5 |
| May | 28 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 6 | 0 |
| Jun | 53 | 20 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Jul | 67 | 20 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 65 | 22 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 43 | 35 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 16 | 35 | 34 | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| Nov | 5 | 17 | 36 | 31 | 11 | 0 |
| Dec | 1 | 5 | 15 | 31 | 37 | 11 |
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 Karratha is typically light breeze, near 19 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 5.0 months, from around Sep 17 to Feb 16. The windiest month is November, averaging about 21 km/h (breezy).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Feb 17 to Jun 5, with April the calmest month at about 17 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | breezy | breezy | breezy |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | light breeze |
| Feb | 19 | light breeze |
| Mar | 18 | light breeze |
| Apr | 17 | light breeze |
| May | 18 | light breeze |
| Jun | 19 | light breeze |
| Jul | 19 | light breeze |
| Aug | 18 | light breeze |
| Sep | 19 | light breeze |
| Oct | 20 | breezy |
| Nov | 21 | breezy |
| Dec | 21 | breezy |
Hazard calendar for Karratha
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Karratha sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.
Best time to visit Karratha
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Karratha throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around early October, Karratha is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
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 Karratha for general outdoor tourist activities is from mid May to mid October, with a peak score in the last week of July.
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) | 5.1 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 5.8 | 7.8 | 8.8 | 9.3 | 9.5 | 9.1 | 7.7 | 6.8 | 5.8 |
| Rating | fair | fair | fair | good | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | good | good |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.1 | fair |
| Feb | 4.8 | fair |
| Mar | 4.8 | fair |
| Apr | 5.8 | good |
| May | 7.8 | ideal |
| Jun | 8.8 | ideal |
| Jul | 9.3 | ideal |
| Aug | 9.5 | ideal |
| Sep | 9.1 | ideal |
| Oct | 7.7 | ideal |
| Nov | 6.8 | good |
| Dec | 5.8 | 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 Karratha for hot-weather activities run from early March to early June and again from late June to early February, with a peak score in the second 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 Karratha, 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 March (highs near 32°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around July (highs near 24°C), pack light clothes and sun protection.
In March, Karratha sees daytime highs around 32°C and nights near 28°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 3 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Karratha
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 13 km away) is warmest in March at about 30°C and coldest in August near 23°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 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 28 |
| Comfort | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Warm | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Warm | Warm | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | Tropical |
| Feb | 30 | Tropical |
| Mar | 30 | Tropical |
| Apr | 29 | Tropical |
| May | 27 | Warm |
| Jun | 24 | Warm |
| Jul | 23 | Refreshing |
| Aug | 23 | Refreshing |
| Sep | 24 | Refreshing |
| Oct | 25 | Warm |
| Nov | 27 | Warm |
| Dec | 28 | Warm |
UV index (midday) in Karratha 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 Karratha peaks around December 23 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 19 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) | 15 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 15 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | High | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | Extreme |
| Feb | 14 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 10 | Very high |
| May | 8 | Very high |
| Jun | 7 | High |
| Jul | 7 | Very high |
| Aug | 8 | Very high |
| Sep | 10 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 13 | Extreme |
| Dec | 15 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Karratha
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 December the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 9 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) | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8 | 7 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.5 | 7 |
| Feb | 8.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 8 | 6 |
| Apr | 7 | 5 |
| May | 6.5 | 3.5 |
| Jun | 5.5 | 2.5 |
| Jul | 6 | 3 |
| Aug | 6.5 | 4 |
| Sep | 7.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 8 | 6 |
| Nov | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Dec | 9 | 7 |
Air quality in Karratha 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 Karratha is worst in December — around 49 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 7.0× the cleanest month (July, 7 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) | 43 | 31 | 23 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 20 | 32 | 49 |
| Level | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Poor |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | Poor |
| Feb | 31 | Moderate |
| Mar | 23 | Moderate |
| Apr | 11 | Good |
| May | 9 | Good |
| Jun | 8 | Good |
| Jul | 7 | Good |
| Aug | 7 | Good |
| Sep | 11 | Good |
| Oct | 20 | Moderate |
| Nov | 32 | Moderate |
| Dec | 49 | Poor |
Growing season
Karratha 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. Karratha banks about 5,840 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around March.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 606 | 550 | 615 | 548 | 460 | 357 | 339 | 361 | 403 | 496 | 523 | 582 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 606 |
| Feb | 550 |
| Mar | 615 |
| Apr | 548 |
| May | 460 |
| Jun | 357 |
| Jul | 339 |
| Aug | 361 |
| Sep | 403 |
| Oct | 496 |
| Nov | 523 |
| Dec | 582 |
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.
Karratha receives about 6.4 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — intense — with a clear seasonal swing between 4.2 and 8.2 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.4 months, from around Sep 7 to Mar 19. The brightest month is November, averaging about 8.1 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is June, down near 4.2 kWh/m² — roughly 48% less than the November peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 7.6 | 7.1 | 6.5 | 5.7 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 5.6 | 6.8 | 7.7 | 8.2 | 7.9 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.6 | Intense |
| Feb | 7.1 | Intense |
| Mar | 6.5 | Intense |
| Apr | 5.7 | Bright |
| May | 4.8 | Bright |
| Jun | 4.2 | Bright |
| Jul | 4.6 | Bright |
| Aug | 5.6 | Bright |
| Sep | 6.8 | Intense |
| Oct | 7.7 | Intense |
| Nov | 8.2 | Intense |
| Dec | 7.9 | Intense |
Where is Karratha?
Karratha sits at 20.7°S, 116.8°E, 20 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Port Hedland, 190 km away.
Topography around Karratha
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Karratha.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Karratha has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 123 m around an average of 23 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 170 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 377 m.
The land around Karratha is covered by grassland (54%) within 3 km, grassland (51%) and water (31%) within 16 km, and grassland (48%) and water (44%) 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 Karratha (-20.7376°, 116.8463°, elevation 20 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).