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Cairns Weather News

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Weather

Cairns Weather Today

Live rain radar, current conditions, an hour-by-hour outlook and a seven-day forecast for Cairns, with original local weather writing.

Today's briefing

Good morning Cairns. We're starting this Wednesday at a pleasant 18 degrees with a gentle 10 kilometre per hour breeze, and we'll warm up to a tops of 25 degrees with just an 8 per cent chance of rain, making it a lovely autumn day out there. With a UV index sitting at 7, slip on your hat and sunscreen before heading out, as the sun's still got some real punch to it. Over the weekend, Saturday looks a bit unsettled with a 33 per cent rain chance and a maximum of 24 degrees, but Sunday should clear up nicely with a 25 degree top and minimal rain expected.

22°

Mainly clear · feels like 24°

Today
27° / 20°
Humidity
81%
Wind
15 km/h SE
UV index
0 · Low
Sunrise
6:27 am
Sunset
6:09 pm

Next 24 hours

  1. Now

    23°

    0%

  2. 11pm

    22°

    1%

  3. 12am

    22°

    2%

  4. 1am

    21°

    2%

  5. 2am

    21°

    2%

  6. 3am

    21°

    1%

  7. 4am

    20°

    0%

  8. 5am

    20°

    0%

  9. 6am

    20°

    0%

  10. 7am

    21°

    0%

  11. 8am

    22°

    0%

  12. 9am

    24°

    0%

  13. 10am

    25°

    0%

  14. 11am

    25°

    1%

  15. 12pm

    25°

    2%

  16. 1pm

    25°

    2%

  17. 2pm

    25°

    1%

  18. 3pm

    25°

    1%

  19. 4pm

    24°

    0%

  20. 5pm

    24°

    1%

  21. 6pm

    23°

    1%

  22. 7pm

    22°

    2%

  23. 8pm

    22°

    2%

  24. 9pm

    22°

    1%

Live rain radar

Drag to pan

Animated rain radar via RainViewer (Bureau of Meteorology sources). Full Bureau of Meteorology radar loop.

Seven-day forecast

  1. Thu

    Overcast

    27° 20°

    Rain 33%

  2. Fri

    Drizzle

    25° 20°

    Rain 2%

  3. Sat

    Drizzle

    25° 19°

    Rain 78%

  4. Sun

    Drizzle

    24° 20°

    Rain 98%

  5. Mon

    Drizzle

    25° 19°

    Rain 73%

  6. Tue

    Drizzle

    24° 19°

    Rain 65%

  7. Wed

    Overcast

    24° 19°

    Rain 33%

Sun and moon

Sunrise
6:27 am
Sunset
6:09 pm
Daylight
11h 42m

Full moon

100% lit

From the weather desk

Cairns weather, explained

How to read the Cairns forecast

A good forecast is really three views at once. The current panel tells you what it feels like outside right now, which is what matters before you head out the door. The hourly strip is for planning the next part of your day: when the rain band arrives, when the wind picks up, when it is warm enough to walk. The seven-day outlook is for the week ahead, and it is most reliable in the first three or four days. Read it from the top down and you will almost always have what you need for Cairns.

Cairns weather and the coast

Cairns has a tropical monsoon climate defined by two seasons. The hot, humid wet season runs roughly from November to April, bringing monsoon troughs, heavy afternoon storms and the occasional cyclone off the Coral Sea. The warmer, drier season from May to October is dominated by steady south-easterly trade winds and long stretches of settled weather. The Great Dividing Range and the Atherton Tablelands rise sharply just to the west, while the Coral Sea and the Great Barrier Reef sit to the east — a combination that channels the trade winds and wrings extra rain out of the ranges behind the city.

What the UV index means in Cairns

Cairns sits at about 16.9 degrees south, deep in the tropics, which puts it in a UV band that surprises many visitors. On clear days the UV index regularly reaches 11 or above for much of the year, meaning skin can burn in under ten minutes around midday. The index peaks at solar noon, not at the hottest part of the afternoon, so checking the number rather than judging by the temperature is the most reliable habit. Below 3 is low and you can be outside without extra protection. From 3 to 7 means sunscreen earns its keep. Above 8 means a hat, sunscreen and shade are all genuinely useful, not optional.

Weather data by Open-Meteo. Cairns Weather News is independent and not affiliated with any government weather agency.