The Great Barrier Reef’s seasonal weather changes, and typically, the weather on land is very different from the weather at sea.
Cairns Weather forecast
Cairns Weather & Climate
| Summer (Dec-Feb) |
Autumn (Mar-May) |
Winter (Jun-Aug) |
Spring (Sep-Nov) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marine life | Overall great marine life activity with plenty to see | Overall great marine life activity with plenty to see | Minke Whales & Humpback Whales | Humpback Whales & Coral Spawning (Nov) |
| Visibility | Excellent | Good | Good | Excellent |
| Water temperature | 29°C (85°F) | 25-27°C (77-80°F) | 22-24°C (71-75°F) | 25-27°C (77-80°F) |
| Sea Conditions | Generally calm | Calm to moderate | Moderate | Generally calm |
| Rainfall | Moderate to high rain generally at night | Potential moderate rain | Low rainfall | Low rainfall |
Cairns annual temperature & precipitation
Metric
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|
394
32
24
|
446
31
24
|
422
31
23
|
193
29
22
|
91
28
20
|
47
26
18
|
30
26
17
|
26
27
17
|
34
28
19
|
48
30
21
|
93
31
22
|
175
32
23
|
| Average max. and min. temperatures in °C | |||||||||||
| Precipitation totals in mm | |||||||||||
Imperial
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|
16
89
75
|
18
88
75
|
17
87
74
|
7.6
85
71
|
3.6
82
68
|
1.9
79
64
|
1.2
78
63
|
1
80
63
|
1.3
83
66
|
1.9
85
69
|
3.7
87
72
|
6.9
89
74
|
| Average max. and min. temperatures in °F | |||||||||||
| Precipitation totals in inches | |||||||||||
Wind forecast for the Great Barrier Reef
Using the forecast to plan your reef day
A forecast tells you what the weather is likely to do. It doesn’t tell you where a boat will go. Operators choose their reef sites based on the actual sea and reef conditions on the day, which is why our tour pages list the sites a trip may visit rather than promising one in particular.
So the forecast is worth checking — but it is usually more useful for deciding what to pack and what kind of day you want than for choosing between operators.
The styles of reef day you can book from Cairns
- A moored pontoon. You make the crossing once and spend the day based on a fixed platform. Facilities on Sunlover’s Moore Reef pontoon include an underwater observatory, a semi-submersible, a glass-bottom boat and an enclosed ocean pool, so you can see the reef without swimming.
- A day boat. You stay with the vessel and visit more than one reef site. Reef Experience visits two outer reef locations in a day, with snorkelling and diving straight off the boat.
- Snorkelling-led. If getting in the water is the main thing you want from the day, our guide to snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef covers what to expect and which trips suit.
You can compare every current Cairns reef departure — dates, inclusions and prices — in one place.
Reef trips are weather-dependent. If conditions look marginal for your dates, your operator is the right people to ask.
Quick answers
“What is the best time of year to visit the reef?”
You can visit all year. Spring (September to November) is generally calm with excellent visibility and water around 25 to 27°C. Summer brings the warmest water, around 29°C, and more rain.
“Will rain spoil my reef trip?”
Usually not. Summer rain often falls at night, and reef boats run in light rain. Wind and sea conditions matter more than rain, so allow a spare day in case a trip is rescheduled.
“When can I see whales?”
In winter (June to August), when minke and humpback whales visit the reef, with humpbacks still around into spring.
“When is stinger season?”
Broadly November to May. Reef trips still run, and a lycra stinger suit is the simple protection.