Weather in Cairns in January
January in Cairns is a hot month. Plan the serious walking for morning. The rest of the day wants shade and a slower pace.
In Australia, this is how Cairns actually wears January, not how a country centroid would. January is high summer in the southern year. Do not pack Cairns as if it were a northern winter. January is the peak of the warm side of the year in Cairns. If you wanted the gentlest heat, this is not that month.
- Average temp
- 25°C
20–30°C
- Rainfall
- 227 mm
A wet month
- Sunshine
- —
What to expect
Daytime
Hot days in Cairns. Ruins, markets and hills are a morning job. Midday sightseeing is how people remember January for the wrong reason.
Nights stay warm. Air-con, if you can get it, is part of the brief. A jumper for January in Cairns is almost always a waste of bag space.
Rain
January is the wet side of the year in Cairns. Days can be heavy. Plans that cannot survive rain are the wrong plans.
This is not a reason to skip Cairns if you like the place. It is a reason to pack for weather and to stop treating every grey hour as a failed holiday.
Evening
Evenings stay warm.
What to pack
Rain jacket
Where to stay in Cairns
Dates are a starting point for January.
Travel guides for Cairns
What to read before you book.
Average weather in Cairns
TemperatureRainfall
Check another month
This is the month you are reading. Change either side to look at another.
FAQs about Cairns
Climate averages for Cairns, 1991–2020.
The best time to visit Cairns is between May and October, the most comfortable stretch of the year on these averages.
December is the hottest month, with an average around 25°C.
February is the wettest month, with about 278 mm of rain.
No. These are 1991–2020 climate normals from Meteostat, not a live forecast. Actual weather in any given week can differ.
