Mackay weather in August

In August, Mackay sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 17°C, with 25 mm of rain across 4.3 wet days and about 11.3 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 22°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 71% of the time in August, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 11 hours at the start of August to 11 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Mackay's 2nd-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mackay's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
11th warmest
Overnight low
17°
2nd coldest
Rainfall
25 mm
4.3 wet days
Daylight
11 h 18 min
6:29 AM – 5:46 PM
Cloud cover
29%
2nd clearest
Wind
15 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
4.69 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.1
out of 10

Mackay is city in Queensland, Australia.

Air quality
Good
PM10 24.1 µg/m³ · 2019
Founded
1875

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 22°C through the month.

A typical August day in Mackay reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 17°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 23°C. Set against its neighbours, August runs on par with July and about 2°C cooler than September.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12116
22116
32116
42116
52116
62116
72116
82116
92116
102116
112116
122116
132116
142116
152116
162216
172216
182216
192217
202217
212217
222217
232217
242217
252217
262217
272217
282217
292218
302218
312218

Mackay weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 11th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 25°21415.813.15.5
Feb28° / 25°22417.212.75.0
Mar27° / 24°17115.212.15.8
Apr26° / 22°891311.56.5
May24° / 19°5410.6117.1
Jun22° / 17°437.810.77.4
Jul21° / 16°324.310.87.8
Aug22° / 17°254.311.38.1
Sep23° / 19°163.511.98.6
Oct25° / 21°34612.58.1
Nov27° / 23°648.4137.3
Dec28° / 24°11711.613.36.4

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 71% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 13%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18812
28911
38911
48911
58911
68911
78911
88911
98911
108911
118911
128911
138911
148911
158911
168911
178812
188812
198713
208713
218614
228515
238515
248515
258416
268416
278317
288218
298218
308218
318218

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Mackay gets around 25 mm of rain over 4.3 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 13% and peaks near 17% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
113
213
313
413
513
613
713
813
912
1012
1112
1212
1311
1411
1511
1611
1711
1811
1911
2012
2112
2213
2314
2414
2515
2616
2716
2817
2917
3017
3117

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of August feels comfortable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, August lands in the comfortable band about 40% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 7% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
13042235
23042234
33042234
43043234
53043234
63043243
73043243
83043253
92942253
102942263
112942263
122942263
132842264
142842264
152841274
162741275
172641276
182541286
192440287
202340298
212240309
222139309
2320393110
2420383111
2519373212
2618373213
2717363314
2816363315
2915363415
3014353416
3114353417

Wind in August

Winds average 15 km/h in August, the calmest month.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 14 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
114light breeze
214light breeze
314light breeze
414light breeze
514light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2115light breeze
2215light breeze
2315light breeze
2415light breeze
2515light breeze
2615light breeze
2715light breeze
2815light breeze
2915light breeze
3015light breeze
3115light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 hours at the start of August to 11 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 36 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 6:39 AM to 6:17 AM, and sunset from 5:40 PM to 5:50 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.06:395:40
211.06:385:40
311.16:385:41
411.16:375:41
511.16:375:42
611.16:365:42
711.16:355:42
811.16:355:43
911.16:345:43
1011.26:345:43
1111.26:335:44
1211.26:325:44
1311.26:325:45
1411.26:315:45
1511.36:305:45
1611.36:295:46
1711.36:295:46
1811.36:285:46
1911.36:275:46
2011.36:265:47
2111.46:255:47
2211.46:255:47
2311.46:245:48
2411.46:235:48
2511.46:225:48
2611.56:215:49
2711.56:205:49
2811.56:195:49
2911.56:195:49
3011.56:185:50
3111.66:175:50

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 4.69 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.61 kWh/m² to a high of 6.65 kWh/m² in November across the year — August's 4.69 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.3Bright
24.4Bright
34.4Bright
44.4Bright
54.5Bright
64.5Bright
74.5Bright
84.6Bright
94.6Bright
104.6Bright
114.6Bright
124.7Bright
134.7Bright
144.7Bright
154.7Bright
164.8Bright
174.8Bright
184.8Bright
194.8Bright
204.8Bright
214.8Bright
224.8Bright
234.8Bright
244.9Bright
254.9Bright
264.9Bright
274.9Bright
284.9Bright
295.0Bright
305.0Bright
315.0Bright
Planning a trip in August

Hazard calendar for Mackay

In seasonPeak

None of Mackay's seasonal hazards are active in August. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Mackay sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

Mackay's monsoon runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

Cyclone
Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is August a good time to visit Mackay?

Our two travel scores rate August for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

8.1
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
5.3
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

August is one of the better times to visit Mackay for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Mackay in August

From August's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In August, Mackay sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 17°C. Worth packing: sun protection. About 4 days see rain.

sun protection

Sea temperature near Mackay in August

The nearest coast averages about 21°C in August — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 22 km away) is warmest in February at about 28°C and coldest in July near 21°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Tropical
Feb28Tropical
Mar28Warm
Apr26Warm
May24Warm
Jun22Refreshing
Jul21Refreshing
Aug21Refreshing
Sep23Refreshing
Oct25Warm
Nov26Warm
Dec28Warm

UV index in Mackay in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Mackay peaks around February 10 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 at about 7 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighVery highExtremeFeb 10UV 16Jun 23UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May8Very high
Jun7High
Jul7High
Aug8Very high
Sep10Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Mackay?

Mackay sits at 21.2°S, 149.2°E, 11 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Airlie Beach, 109 km away.

RockhamptonTownsvilleKirwanGladstoneBundabergHervey BayCairns

Topography around Mackay

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Mackay.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mackay has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 17 m around an average of 8 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 300 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,248 m.

The land around Mackay is covered by artificial surfaces (43%) and grassland (23%) within 3 km, water (35%) within 16 km, and water (52%) and trees (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
17 m
16 km
300 m
80 km
1,248 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
August weather nearby: Airlie Beach 109 km · Rockhampton 283 km · Townsville 324 km · Kirwan 327 km · Gladstone 369 km · Bundaberg 526 km · Hervey Bay 589 km · Cairns 591 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
none 38%Roman Catholic 20%Protestant 18%other Christian 4%

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 Mackay (-21.1534°, 149.1655°, elevation 11 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).