Townsville weather in August

In August, Townsville sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 15 mm of rain across 2.2 wet days and about 11.3 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 11th-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 56% of the time in August, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 06 min at the start of August to 11 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Townsville's 3rd-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Townsville's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
10th warmest
Overnight low
16°
2nd coldest
Rainfall
15 mm
2.2 wet days
Daylight
11 h 18 min
6:37 AM – 5:57 PM
Cloud cover
37%
3rd clearest
Wind
10 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
4.78 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.3
out of 10

Townsville is city in Queensland, Australia.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 7 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
1,436/km²
people per km²
Founded
1865

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 26°C through the month.

A typical August day in Townsville reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, August runs about 1°C warmer than July and about 2°C cooler than September.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12515
22515
32515
42515
52515
62515
72515
82515
92615
102615
112615
122615
132615
142615
152615
162616
172616
182616
192616
202616
212616
222616
232616
242616
252617
262617
272617
282717
292717
302717
312717

How August really feels in Townsville

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August 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

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

Townsville weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 10th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan31° / 25°20816.6133.7
Feb31° / 25°21817.612.73.6
Mar30° / 23°12712.712.14.5
Apr29° / 21°496.911.65.9
May27° / 19°294.911.17.4
Jun25° / 16°203.810.98.1
Jul25° / 15°162.7118.4
Aug26° / 16°152.211.38.3
Sep28° / 18°103.311.97.6
Oct29° / 21°225.112.46.3
Nov30° / 23°47812.95.2
Dec31° / 24°8812.613.14.2

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 23%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17723
27822
37822
47822
57822
67822
77822
87921
97921
108020
118020
128020
138020
147921
157921
167822
177822
187723
197723
207723
217723
227624
237525
247525
257525
267525
277525
287426
297426
307426
317426

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Townsville gets around 15 mm of rain over 2.2 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 7% and peaks near 13% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
17
27
36
46
56
66
76
86
96
106
116
126
135
145
155
165
175
185
195
206
216
227
237
248
259
2610
2711
2811
2912
3013
3113

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 36% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 8% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
137391860
237391860
338391850
438391950
538391950
638381940
738382040
837382140
937382140
1037372240
1137372330
1237362330
1336362430
1436362440
1535362540
1634362540
1733362650
1832362650
1930362760
2029362770
2128362880
2226362981
2325362991
24243630101
25223530121
26213530131
27203530141
28193530151
29183531151
30173431162
31173431172

Wind in August

Winds average 10 km/h in August.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 06 min 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 30 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 6:45 AM to 6:25 AM, and sunset from 5:52 PM to 6:01 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.16:455:52
211.16:455:53
311.16:445:53
411.26:445:53
511.26:435:54
611.26:435:54
711.26:425:54
811.26:425:55
911.26:415:55
1011.26:415:55
1111.36:405:56
1211.36:395:56
1311.36:395:56
1411.36:385:57
1511.36:375:57
1611.36:375:57
1711.46:365:57
1811.46:355:58
1911.46:355:58
2011.46:345:58
2111.46:335:58
2211.46:325:59
2311.56:315:59
2411.56:315:59
2511.56:305:59
2611.56:296:00
2711.56:286:00
2811.56:276:00
2911.66:276:00
3011.66:266:01
3111.66:256:01

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 4.78 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.8 kWh/m² to a high of 6.5 kWh/m² in November across the year — August's 4.78 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.5Bright
24.5Bright
34.5Bright
44.6Bright
54.6Bright
64.6Bright
74.7Bright
84.7Bright
94.7Bright
104.7Bright
114.8Bright
124.8Bright
134.8Bright
144.8Bright
154.8Bright
164.8Bright
174.8Bright
184.9Bright
194.9Bright
204.9Bright
214.9Bright
224.9Bright
234.9Bright
244.9Bright
254.9Bright
265.0Bright
275.0Bright
285.0Bright
295.0Bright
305.1Bright
315.1Bright
Planning a trip in August

Hazard calendar for Townsville

In seasonPeak

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

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

Townsville's monsoon runs January–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 Townsville?

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

8.3
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
7.9
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

August is one of the better times to visit Townsville for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Townsville in August

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

In August, Townsville sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 16°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Townsville in August

The nearest coast averages about 23°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 17 km away) is warmest in February at about 29°C and coldest in July near 22°C.

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

20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar28Tropical
Apr27Warm
May25Warm
Jun23Refreshing
Jul22Refreshing
Aug23Refreshing
Sep24Warm
Oct26Warm
Nov27Warm
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Townsville in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Townsville peaks around February 9 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 7 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highVery highExtremeFeb 9UV 16Jun 20UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May8Very high
Jun7High
Jul7Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep11Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Townsville?

Townsville sits at 19.3°S, 146.8°E, 15 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Kirwan, 9.0 km away.

CairnsMackayPort DouglasRockhamptonGladstoneMount Isa

Topography around Townsville

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Townsville has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 270 m around an average of 14 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 582 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,212 m.

The land around Townsville is covered by artificial surfaces (51%) within 3 km, water (35%), trees (27%) and grassland (20%) within 16 km, and water (39%) and trees (37%) within 80 km.

3 km
270 m
16 km
582 m
80 km
1,212 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
August weather nearby: Kirwan 9.0 km · Airlie Beach 229 km · Cairns 283 km · Mackay 324 km · Port Douglas 340 km · Rockhampton 597 km · Gladstone 687 km · Mount Isa 781 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 Townsville (-19.2664°, 146.8057°, elevation 15 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).