October is one of the warmer months of the year in Cairns, with average highs near 28.6°C and lows around 19.4°C (mean 24°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 56 mm of rainfall and 73% relative humidity across the period.
October is one of the warmer months of the year in Cairns. Across 45 years of records, the warmest October in Cairns was 2021 — when the month averaged 26.7°C — while the coldest was 2006 at 21.2°C. Typical October days reach 28.6°C with nights near 19.4°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
October is one of the drier months in Cairns, averaging 56 mm of rainfall. The wettest October on record was 2011 with 268 mm, while the driest was 2002 at 1 mm.
Relative humidity in Cairns during October averages 73%. The most humid October was 2010 at 86%, and the least humid was 1991 at 65%.
October receives about 6.7 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Cairns. The sunniest Octobers were 2002 and 2014 at 7.2 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2010 at 5.6.
Average wind speed in Cairns during October is 1.8 m/s. The windiest Octobers were 2006, 2008 and 2015, among others at 2.2 m/s, while the calmest was 1987 at 1.4 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 24.0°C | 23.3°C | 24.1°C | 23.8°C | 25.3°C | +1.3°C |
| Avg High | 28.7°C | 27.6°C | 28.7°C | 28.2°C | 30.1°C | +1.4°C |
| Avg Low | 19.3°C | 19.0°C | 19.5°C | 19.3°C | 20.5°C | +1.2°C |
| Avg Rain | 57 mm | 52 mm | 50 mm | 81 mm | 28 mm | -29 mm |
October temperatures in Cairns have risen by about 2.1°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
October has ranged from a record low of 13.1°C (1982) to a record high of 36.6°C (2002).
Rainfall in October is one of the drier months, averaging 56 mm, with a wettest year of 268 mm.
One of the best times to visit Cairns
October is one of the best times to visit Cairns. Expect days averaging 28.6°C and nights around 19.4°C (mean 24°C) — warmer than Cairns's yearly average — with moderate rainfall (56 mm), so conditions are generally comfortable for sightseeing and outdoor plans.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 29.9°C | 25.2°C | 20.5°C | 34.1°C | 17.6°C | 47 mm | 74% | 1.7 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2024 | 29.6°C | 24.9°C | 20.3°C | 32.8°C | 18.1°C | 15 mm | 71% | 2 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2023 | 29.0°C | 24.0°C | 19.0°C | 32.7°C | 17.3°C | 20 mm | 70% | 2 m/s | 7 |
| 2022 | 30.7°C | 26.2°C | 21.8°C | 34.4°C | 19.4°C | 76 mm | 74% | 1.7 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2021 🔥 | 32.0°C | 26.7°C | 21.5°C | 34.7°C | 19.7°C | 7 mm | 68% | 1.5 m/s | 7 |
| 2020 | 29.3°C | 24.6°C | 19.8°C | 34.0°C | 17.5°C | 4 mm | 70% | 2 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2019 | 28.8°C | 23.9°C | 19.1°C | 33.4°C | 16.6°C | 28 mm | 71% | 1.9 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2018 | 30.2°C | 25.0°C | 19.7°C | 34.1°C | 15.5°C | 30 mm | 70% | 1.6 m/s | 7 |
| 2017 | 28.6°C | 24.4°C | 20.1°C | 32.8°C | 17.8°C | 100 mm | 76% | 1.7 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2016 | 28.5°C | 24.2°C | 19.9°C | 32.1°C | 17.5°C | 30 mm | 72% | 1.9 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2015 | 27.1°C | 22.8°C | 18.5°C | 31.1°C | 16.4°C | 37 mm | 73% | 2.2 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2014 | 28.2°C | 23.2°C | 18.3°C | 33.6°C | 16.0°C | 14 mm | 69% | 2 m/s | 7.2 |
| 2013 | 29.1°C | 24.4°C | 19.6°C | 33.1°C | 17.9°C | 35 mm | 71% | 1.8 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2012 | 28.1°C | 23.4°C | 18.7°C | 33.2°C | 17.2°C | 42 mm | 72% | 2 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2011 🌧️ | 28.5°C | 24.1°C | 19.7°C | 36.2°C | 17.1°C | 268 mm | 75% | 1.6 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2010 | 25.4°C | 22.6°C | 19.8°C | 26.3°C | 16.8°C | 232 mm | 86% | 1.9 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2009 | 29.0°C | 24.1°C | 19.2°C | 33.5°C | 16.7°C | 46 mm | 66% | 1.9 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2008 | 27.2°C | 23.4°C | 19.5°C | 28.9°C | 16.3°C | 62 mm | 76% | 2.2 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2007 | 28.6°C | 24.0°C | 19.4°C | 33.4°C | 17.1°C | 53 mm | 75% | 1.8 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2006 ❄️ | 25.0°C | 21.2°C | 17.5°C | 30.6°C | 15.3°C | 90 mm | 77% | 2.2 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2005 | 29.5°C | 24.9°C | 20.4°C | 34.0°C | 17.3°C | 41 mm | 75% | 1.6 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2004 | 29.8°C | 24.6°C | 19.5°C | 34.2°C | 17.3°C | 32 mm | 71% | 1.7 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2003 | 30.2°C | 25.3°C | 20.3°C | 36.3°C | 17.0°C | 24 mm | 70% | 1.7 m/s | 6.6 |
| 2002 | 30.1°C | 24.7°C | 19.3°C | 36.6°C | 16.7°C | 1 mm | 66% | 1.9 m/s | 7.2 |
| 2001 | 29.2°C | 24.6°C | 19.9°C | 32.8°C | 16.6°C | 76 mm | 73% | 1.5 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2000 | 28.3°C | 24.1°C | 19.9°C | 31.7°C | 18.6°C | 79 mm | 76% | 1.8 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1999 | 27.7°C | 23.6°C | 19.5°C | 30.2°C | 16.7°C | 35 mm | 77% | 1.8 m/s | 6.8 |
| 1998 | 28.6°C | 24.9°C | 21.2°C | 32.1°C | 18.0°C | 74 mm | 80% | 1.5 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1997 | 27.0°C | 22.6°C | 18.2°C | 30.8°C | 16.3°C | 40 mm | 74% | 1.8 m/s | 6.9 |
| 1996 | 26.5°C | 22.9°C | 19.4°C | 32.0°C | 17.2°C | 172 mm | 79% | 2.2 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1995 | 27.2°C | 23.0°C | 18.8°C | 30.5°C | 16.7°C | 97 mm | 79% | 1.8 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1994 | 27.9°C | 23.1°C | 18.4°C | 32.2°C | 16.7°C | 47 mm | 73% | 1.7 m/s | 7 |
| 1993 | 27.9°C | 23.1°C | 18.3°C | 32.5°C | 15.1°C | 22 mm | 74% | 1.6 m/s | 6.8 |
| 1992 | 26.8°C | 22.6°C | 18.3°C | 29.2°C | 16.9°C | 21 mm | 71% | 2.1 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1991 | 28.8°C | 23.8°C | 18.7°C | 33.9°C | 15.0°C | 4 mm | 65% | 2 m/s | 7.1 |
| 1990 | 28.0°C | 23.4°C | 18.8°C | 32.3°C | 15.1°C | 13 mm | 73% | 1.6 m/s | 7 |
| 1989 | 30.1°C | 24.8°C | 19.6°C | 33.8°C | 16.4°C | 52 mm | 69% | 1.6 m/s | 6.9 |
| 1988 | 29.0°C | 24.6°C | 20.3°C | 32.8°C | 17.8°C | 97 mm | 76% | 1.9 m/s | 6.7 |
| 1987 | 30.6°C | 25.1°C | 19.7°C | 35.3°C | 17.0°C | 17 mm | 72% | 1.4 m/s | 7 |
| 1986 | 29.4°C | 24.9°C | 20.5°C | 32.4°C | 17.9°C | 53 mm | 74% | 1.5 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1985 | 28.3°C | 23.6°C | 18.9°C | 33.8°C | 15.7°C | 110 mm | 74% | 1.6 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1984 | 28.1°C | 23.4°C | 18.8°C | 33.8°C | 17.1°C | 49 mm | 73% | 1.9 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1983 | 28.1°C | 24.0°C | 19.8°C | 32.0°C | 17.3°C | 38 mm | 76% | 1.6 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 27.7°C | 22.2°C | 16.8°C | 32.6°C | 13.1°C | 4 mm | 66% | 1.7 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 27.2°C | 23.1°C | 18.9°C | 32.9°C | 16.1°C | 94 mm | 76% | 1.9 m/s | — |
Actual recorded October data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in October is around 28.6°C with lows near 19.4°C (mean 24°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
October averages 56 mm of rainfall in Cairns, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 268 mm in 2011.
The hottest October reached 36.6°C in 2002. The coldest dipped to 13.1°C in 1982.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average October temperatures have risen by about 2.1°C. Daytime highs moved from 27.9°C to 30.2°C and overnight lows from 18.6°C to 20.6°C over the same span.
October is one of the warmer months of the year in Cairns and one of the drier months, so plan for around 28.6°C daytime highs and 19.4°C at night.
Not quite — October is the 7th coolest month in Cairns, averaging 24°C.
For October in Cairns, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 28.6°C and lows of 19.4°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in October averages 73% — moderately humid.
Average wind speed in October is 1.8 m/s. The windiest October on record averaged 2.2 m/s (1996).
The wettest October on record was 2011 with 268 mm. On average, October sees 56 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Cairns behaves each October, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for October specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
