Port Douglas weather in March

In March, Port Douglas sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 322 mm of rain across 22 wet days and about 12.1 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 19% of the time in March, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 18 min at the start of March to 11 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Port Douglas's 10th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Port Douglas's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
4th warmest
Overnight low
24°
9th coldest
Rainfall
322 mm
22 wet days
Daylight
12 h 06 min
6:24 AM – 6:31 PM
Cloud cover
71%
10th clearest
Wind
12 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
5.28 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.6
out of 10

Port Douglas is town in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia.

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

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.

A typical March day in Port Douglas reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 1°C cooler than February and about 1°C warmer than April.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12825
22825
32825
42825
52825
62725
72725
82725
92724
102724
112724
122724
132724
142724
152724
162724
172724
182724
192724
202724
212724
222724
232724
242724
252724
262724
272724
282724
292724
302724
312724

How March really feels in Port Douglas

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March 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.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

March sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Port Douglas weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 4th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 25°33623.312.94.2
Feb28° / 25°33222.512.64.0
Mar27° / 24°3222212.14.6
Apr26° / 23°15817.711.65.5
May24° / 21°7313.611.26.4
Jun23° / 20°5711.7116.6
Jul22° / 19°5210.311.16.8
Aug22° / 19°479.111.47.1
Sep24° / 20°287.311.97.6
Oct25° / 22°5710.112.47.1
Nov27° / 23°9414.412.86.1
Dec28° / 24°20318.8135.2

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 19% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 66%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12674
22674
32674
42575
52674
62674
72575
82674
92674
102872
112872
122971
133070
143169
153268
163367
173367
183466
193664
203664
213862
224060
234060
244159
254159
264357
274456
284555
294555
304654
314753

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Port Douglas gets around 322 mm of rain over 22 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 72% and peaks near 80% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
180
280
380
480
580
679
779
879
978
1078
1177
1277
1376
1475
1575
1674
1773
1872
1971
2070
2168
2267
2366
2465
2564
2664
2764
2863
2963
3063
3163

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, March lands in the oppressive band about 76% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
127424
227523
327523
437522
537522
647521
757520
867519
977518
1087517
1197516
1297615
13107614
14107713
15117712
16117712
17117811
18127810
19127810
20127810
21137710
2213789
2314779
2414779
2514779
2615769
2716768
2816768
2917758
3019747
3120737

Wind in March

Winds average 12 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
111calm
211calm
311calm
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
812calm
912calm
1012calm
1112calm
1212light breeze
1312light breeze
1412light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3114light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 18 min at the start of March to 11 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 24 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:21 AM to 6:27 AM, and sunset from 6:42 PM to 6:19 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.36:216:42
212.36:216:41
312.36:216:41
412.36:226:40
512.36:226:39
612.36:226:39
712.36:226:38
812.26:236:37
912.26:236:36
1012.26:236:36
1112.26:236:35
1212.26:246:34
1312.26:246:34
1412.16:246:33
1512.16:246:32
1612.16:246:31
1712.16:256:30
1812.16:256:30
1912.16:256:29
2012.16:256:28
2112.06:256:27
2212.06:256:27
2312.06:266:26
2412.06:266:25
2512.06:266:24
2612.06:266:23
2711.96:266:23
2811.96:266:22
2911.96:266:21
3011.96:276:20
3111.96:276:19

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.28 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.94 kWh/m² to a high of 6.7 kWh/m² in November across the year — March's 5.28 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.3Bright
35.3Bright
45.3Bright
55.2Bright
65.2Bright
75.2Bright
85.2Bright
95.2Bright
105.1Bright
115.1Bright
125.1Bright
135.1Bright
145.2Bright
155.2Bright
165.2Bright
175.2Bright
185.2Bright
195.3Bright
205.3Bright
215.3Bright
225.3Bright
235.4Bright
245.4Bright
255.4Bright
265.4Bright
275.4Bright
285.4Bright
295.4Bright
305.4Bright
315.4Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Port Douglas

In seasonPeak

In March, Port Douglas sits inside its cyclone and monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

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

Port Douglas's monsoon runs December–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is March a good time to visit Port Douglas?

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

4.6
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
4.7
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit Port Douglas for sightseeing.

What to pack for Port Douglas in March

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

In March, Port Douglas sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 22 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Port Douglas in March

The nearest coast averages about 29°C in March — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 21 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.

22°24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr27Warm
May26Warm
Jun24Warm
Jul24Refreshing
Aug24Refreshing
Sep25Warm
Oct26Warm
Nov27Warm
Dec29Tropical

UV index in Port Douglas in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 14 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Port Douglas peaks around February 12 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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeFeb 12UV 16Jun 21UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May9Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep13Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Port Douglas?

Port Douglas sits at 16.5°S, 145.5°E, 0 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Cairns, 58 km away.

TownsvilleKirwanAirlie BeachMackayMount IsaPort MoresbyDaru

Topography around Port Douglas

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Port Douglas has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 75 m around an average of 2 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,038 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,372 m.

The land around Port Douglas is covered by water (69%) and mangroves (21%) within 3 km, water (55%) and trees (32%) within 16 km, and trees (45%) and water (41%) within 80 km.

3 km
75 m
16 km
1,038 m
80 km
1,372 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
March weather nearby: Cairns 58 km · Townsville 340 km · Kirwan 341 km · Airlie Beach 543 km · Mackay 649 km · Mount Isa 786 km · Port Moresby 800 km · Daru 859 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 Port Douglas (-16.4838°, 145.4673°, 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).