Cairns weather in August
Temperature, sea and sunshine in August: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in August
Excellent
Best time to visit: May, August – November
What is the weather like in Cairns in August?
In August, Cairns is warm: daytime highs average 23 °C, and nights cool down to about 20 °C. The sea averages 23.7 °C – pleasant for swimming. The sun shines for around 8 hours a day. Rain falls on about 5 days, adding up to 24 mm. All in all, August is an excellent month for a holiday in Cairns.
August compared
How the weather changes from July to September. Tap a month to open it.
| JulyJul | AugustAug | SeptemberSep | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 73 | 80 | 94 |
| Day | 23° | 23° | 25° |
| Night | 20° | 20° | 21° |
| Sea | 24° | 24° | 25° |
| Sun | 7 h | 8 h | 9 h |
| Rain days | 6 | 5 | 5 |
More details for August
- Daylight
- 11 h 32 min06:36 – 18:08
- UV index
- 9 · very highclear sky, noon (estimate)
- Muggy days
- 8 daysdew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 16 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 45 %on average
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC+10Australia/Brisbane
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %67 %
- Seaweight 25 %96 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %75 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %90 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in August
- Swimwear
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
Cairns in August: quick answers
Is Cairns hot in August?
Warm rather than hot: in August, daytime highs in Cairns average 23 °C and nights cool to about 20 °C.
Can you swim in Cairns in August?
Yes. In August the sea averages 23.7 °C – pleasant for swimming.
Does it rain much in Cairns in August?
Rain falls on about 5 days, adding up to 24 mm.
Cairns month by month
The whole year in CairnsAll destinations: Australia
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)