If you plan to visit Cairns in January, the weather is typically alright, with an average high temperature of +84°F during the day and approximately 2 sunny days. Expect some rainy, though, as there are typically 16 rainy days in the month and around 281 mm of precipitation. The weather is changeable so you may have to pack for every eventuality. Search flightsin one click on Avionero.
Average weather
☀️
+84°F
Avg. max. temperature
+70°F
Min.
+104°F
Max.
281 mm
Total precipitation
79%
Avg. humidity
2 m/s
Avg. wind
2 ☀️
Sunny Days
13 ⛅️
Cloudy
16 🌦
Rainy
Our opinion: Cairns has OK weather in January.
Average temperature in Cairns in January
Here are the expected maximum, average and minimum temperatures in Cairns for January based on the historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
The temperature in January is +90°F on average, with a range between a maximum of +102°F during the day and a minimum of +72°F at night.
The average maximum temperature goes down 6% by the end of the month, compared with the beginning of the month, from +91°F to +90°F.
Is Cairns warm or cold in January?
Cairns is typically warm in January.
Maximum temperatures go up compared to the previous month from +84°F to +84°F. The minimum temperature also goes up from +77°F to +77°F.
It’s generally warm, but pack a long-sleeve shirt for evenings.
January is one of the warmest months in Cairns, here is the comparison with other months:
Climate in Cairns in January
Cairns weather looks like this, on average, in January and the surrounding months.
December
January
February
Avg. temperature
+84°F
+84°F
+84°F
Min. temperature
+66°F
+70°F
+68°F
Max. temperature
+100°F
+104°F
+102°F
Rainfall
155 mm
281 mm
259 mm
Wind
2 m/s
2 m/s
2 m/s
Humidity
76%
79%
80%
Air pressure
1008 HPa
1006 HPa
1006 HPa
Sunny days
4
2
2
Cloudy days
17
13
10
Rainy days
10
16
16
Snowy days
0
0
0
January weather is still as ok as in December.The temperature levels stay the same in the area of +84°F for average maximum temperature during the day.Prepare for more rain. Average rainfall goes from 155 mm to 281 mm.Humidity rises from 76% to 79%.The average wind speed doesn’t change much during January, staying around 2 m/s.The days becoming less sunny, going from 4 sunny days in December to 2 in January.
February brings much the same weather, it remains ok.
Wind speed in Cairns in January based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
The average wind speed is 2 m/s getting up to 4 m/s which is a light breeze; barely moving the tree leaves.
The average wind speed in Cairns is gradually increasing during January, going from 1 m/s to 1 m/s over the course of the month.
Rain
Amount of rainfall in mm during January in Cairns based on historical data.
Last Year
Historical Data
Typically, there is a 87% chance of rain on an average day in January, with total rainfall of approximately 457 mm. The maximum amount of rainfall per day is around 98 mm, which is considered heavy rain.January is a pretty wet month with over 27 rainy days, so don’t forget to pack an umbrella, raincoat, and a pair of wellies.
January is one of the rainiest months in Cairns, here is a comparison with other months, total mm:
Cairns wettest month is January, where a typical day has a 52% chance of precipitation and 281 mm of rainfall per day. September, on the other hand, is the driest month with a mere 7% chance of precipitation and 18 mm of rainfall per day.
How was the weather last January in Cairns?
This is the weather in Cairns in January 2023:
1 January
☁️
+92°F
2 January
🌧️
+94°F
3 January
☁️
+93°F
4 January
☁️
+98°F
5 January
☁️
+101°F
6 January
☁️
+97°F
7 January
☁️
+94°F
8 January
☀️
+91°F
9 January
🌧️
+90°F
10 January
🌧️
+83°F
11 January
🌧️
+82°F
12 January
☁️
+84°F
13 January
☁️
+90°F
14 January
☁️
+90°F
15 January
☁️
+89°F
16 January
☁️
+91°F
17 January
☁️
+91°F
18 January
☁️
+91°F
19 January
☁️
+92°F
20 January
🌧️
+92°F
21 January
🌧️
+87°F
22 January
🌧️
+82°F
23 January
☁️
+88°F
24 January
🌧️
+88°F
25 January
🌧️
+89°F
26 January
🌧️
+89°F
27 January
🌧️
+88°F
28 January
🌧️
+87°F
29 January
🌧️
+82°F
30 January
☁️
+85°F
31 January
☁️
+90°F
In January 2023 Cairns had 1 sunny days, 17 cloudy days, and 13 rainy days. The average maximum temperature was +90°F, with an absolute maximum of +102°F and a minimum of +82°F. The average humidity was 82%, with a maximum of 100% and a minimum of 31%. The average wind speed was 2 m/s, with a maximum of 9 m/s and a minimum of 0 m/s.
Are you planning a trip in January?
Climate Change Over the Years
This is how Cairns climate has changed over the last 43 years.
The climate in Cairns in January has not changed that much over the last 43 years.
The average temperature was the lowest in 1979 (+83°F) and the highest in 2013 (+98°F). The driest year was 1988 with only 31 mm of rainfall, and the wettest year was 2019 with 1087 mm.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the weather in Cairns in January:
Is January a good time to visit Cairns?
It’s always a good time to visit Cairns, but the weather is changeable in January, so plan a mix of indoor and outdoor activities and exploring, and pack for every eventuality.
Can you sunbathe in Cairns in January?
January is warm in Cairns. You may enjoy some beach or pool time in the day, but pack something a tad warmer for the evening.
Is Cairns rainy in January?
Cairns is often rainy in January. You may get a bit damp when outside, so pack an umbrella, and maybe even a raincoat.
Is it sunny in Cairns in January?
Usually, it’s not very sunny in Cairns in January, often it’s pretty cloudy. Pack for any eventuality; layering can help reduce the number of bulky items needed.
Other cities in Australia
Check out the weather for other cities in Australia.
For this page, we’ve looked at the typical weather in Cairns, based on historical hourly weather data from January 1, 1979, to December 31, 2022.
For past dates, we show actual recorded data at the location at that time. Forecasts are based on recorded weather during that day of the year, averaged over the total years for which we have records (unless stated otherwise). The daily temperature is the highest recorded temperature in the shadow during that day.