Live weather and forecasts of the Great Barrier Reef’s main regions
Cairns Weather & Climate
Cairns typically tropical, island-esque climate makes for a reasonably pleasant environment to holiday in for most parts of the year, with the weather rarely approaching what anyone would label truly “cold”. The warm, monsoon type climate produces an often-humid climate and an extended wet seasons that usually runs from November to May – and in spite of Cairns’ popular images of sunshine and blue waters, it is actually one of the wettest areas in all of Australia. Fortunately its convenient coastal location provides a semblance of balance, with sea breezes helping to relieve some of the humidity in the hotter seasons while providing an exciting and energetic gateway to many of the top drawcards in the Great Barrier Reef region.
Port Douglas Weather & Climate
In terms of weather, Port Douglas is mostly hot with clear enough skies to enjoy the Great Barrier Reef’s natural features in all their glory. Occasional thunderstorms or even cyclones may pop up to put a literal “damper” on proceedings, but the thunderstorms in particular do not tend to occur until the late afternoon/early evening meaning you can typically still fit in a day’s worth of entertainment before the rains come. Due to its northerly location (it’s even further north up the Queensland east coast than Cairns), Port Douglas also has a stereotypical “tropical” climate with semi-cool, dry winters along with hot, wet summers.