Australia
Cairns in January: weather, sea & travel advice
This month's data profile
Rain shapes the decision
Cairns in January is climatically well suited to beach holidays. The average daily high is around 28 °C, and the sea is about 29 °C. With about 24 rainy days it is very wet.
Historical monthly averages, not a weather forecast. Individual days and years can differ substantially.
Rank among 12 monthly averages
57/100 · #12
Warmth
#4
Dryness
#12
Sun
#5
Sea warmth
#2
Published best categories: none
Cairns · JanuaryPhoto: Ank Kumar · CC BY-SA 4.0Climate facts
- Average high
- 28 °C
- Average low
- 23 °C
- Sea
- 29 °C
- Rainy days (est.)
- 24 rainy days (est.)
- Sun (est.)
- 7 h/day
- Humidity
- 85 %
Climate evidence with direct month comparison
The highlighted row is the selected month. Precipitation total and rainy days are separate monthly averages.
| Month | Avg high °C | Avg low °C | Rainy days (est.) | Precipitation mm | Sun h/day (est.) | Humidity % | Wind m/s | Sea °C | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 30 | 22 | 18 | 206 | 8.0 | 79 | 1.6 | 29 | 60 |
| January (selected) | 28 | 23 | 24 | 354 | 7.4 | 85 | 1.5 | 29 | 57 |
| February | 28 | 23 | 23 | 415 | 6.9 | 88 | 1.5 | 29 | 59 |
How do the previous and next months compare?
Baseline: January (57/100)
Positive and negative values show the change from the selected month.
| Score Δ | Average high Δ | Average low Δ | Rainy days Δ | Rain Δ | Sun Δ | Humidity Δ | Wind Δ | Sea Δ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | +3 | +1.3 °C | -0.5 °C | -5.9 | -148.1 mm | +0.6 h | -6.7 % | +0.1 m/s | -0.5 °C |
| February | +2 | -0.8 °C | +0.1 °C | -0.7 | +60.9 mm | -0.5 h | +3.1 % | ±0 m/s | +0.1 °C |
All twelve months in context
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Useful next decisions
Frequently asked questions
How warm is Cairns in January?
The average daily high is around 28 °C, with an average daily low of about 23 °C.
Can you swim in Cairns in January?
The sea is about 29 °C (very warm).
Does it rain a lot in Cairns in January?
The curated estimate is about 24 rainy days per month, not a directly measured long-term average. Total precipitation averages around 354 mm for the month. A rainy day does not mean all-day rain.
When is the best time to visit Cairns?
By the climate score, July, August, September and October are the strongest months for Cairns. For a beach trip: August, September, October and November. January is not among them.