Airlie Beach Weather
Live Airlie Beach weather for the Whitsundays: wind map, hour by hour forecast and rain radar, with average temperatures, rainfall and sea temperatures for every month.
Airlie Beach Weather Forecast
Get the Airlie Beach weather forecast on an interactive map. It shows the current wind conditions in the Whitsunday Islands and the prediction for the coming days. Controls at the top right switch the map to rain or swell, and the date bar along the bottom can be dragged to move through the forecast.
Hour by hour forecast
Temperature, rain, wind and gusts in knots. Scroll sideways for later days. Live data from Windy.
Bureau of Meteorology forecast and warnings for Airlie BeachAirlie Beach Weather Radar
Live rain radar for Airlie Beach, the Whitsunday Islands and the coast from Bowen to Mackay. Press play to see the last hour of rain.
Airlie Beach Weather By Month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg max °C | 29.9 | 29.6 | 28.9 | 27.0 | 24.3 | 22.3 | 21.6 | 22.9 | 25.3 | 27.4 | 28.8 | 29.9 |
| Avg min °C | 24.9 | 24.8 | 24.5 | 23.0 | 20.7 | 18.9 | 18.0 | 18.5 | 20.2 | 22.2 | 23.5 | 24.6 |
| Rain mm | 298 | 289 | 232 | 154 | 98 | 57 | 52 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 75 | 157 |
| Rain days | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Sea °C | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
Annual rainfall 1,481 mm over about 100 rain days. Air temperature and rainfall are Bureau of Meteorology averages from the Hamilton Island Airport station, 2002 to 2026, the closest coastal station to Airlie Beach. Sea temperatures are satellite averages for Hamilton Island.
Airlie Beach Seasons
| Season or fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Climate | Tropical, with a wet summer and a dry winter |
| Dry season | May to October. August, September and October each average about 26 mm of rain over 3 days. |
| Wet season | November to April. January to March bring about 55% of the year's rain. |
| Warmest months | December and January, average maximum 29.9°C |
| Coolest month | July, average 18.0 to 21.6°C |
| Wettest month | January, 298 mm |
| Driest month | September, 25 mm |
| Humidity | Highest in February and lowest in September. Afternoon averages at Proserpine Airport range from 49% to 68%. |
| Wind | South-east trade winds for most of the year. Northerly winds are more common in summer. |
| UV index | Extreme (11 or higher) from October to March. High even in winter. |
| Daylight | 10 hours 54 minutes on the shortest day in June; 13 hours 21 minutes on the longest day in December |
| Time zone | Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC+10) all year. Queensland has no daylight saving. |
| Stinger season | November to May |
| Whale season | June to September |
| Cyclone season | November to April |
Cyclones
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Season | 1 November to 30 April. Most cyclones form from January to March. |
| How often | Most years pass without a cyclone crossing the Whitsunday coast |
| Cyclone Debbie | A category 4 system that made landfall near Airlie Beach on 28 March 2017. Hamilton Island recorded a 263 km/h gust, the highest wind gust recorded in Queensland. |
| Cyclone Koji | Crossed the coast between Ayr and Bowen as a tropical low on 11 January 2026. Hamilton Island recorded a 117 km/h gust. |
| Tours | Tours can be cancelled or rescheduled when a strong wind or cyclone warning is current |
| Warnings | Issued by the Bureau of Meteorology |
Source: Bureau of Meteorology tropical cyclone reports.
Airlie Beach Weather Questions
What is the best month to go to Airlie Beach?
September is the driest month, with 25 mm of rain over about 3 days, average temperatures of 20 to 25°C and whale season still running. June to October is the dry season and is outside the peak stinger months.
Does it rain a lot in Airlie Beach?
In summer, yes. About 1,481 mm falls in a year, and more than half of it arrives from January to March. From August to October the average is about 26 mm a month.
What is the weather like in Airlie Beach in winter?
Mild and mostly dry. June to August averages 18 to 23°C with 3 to 7 rain days a month and a sea temperature of 22 to 24°C.
Why can't you swim at Airlie Beach?
People do swim, but with care. Marine stingers are in the water from November to May, the beaches are not patrolled, and the tide goes out a long way over shallow flats. Boathaven Beach and Cannonvale Beach have stinger nets from November to May. Stinger nets do not stop Irukandji.
Is it safe to swim at Airlie Beach now?
Airlie Beach Lagoon is free, stinger-free all year and has lifeguards. In the ocean, wear a stinger suit from November to May, including inside the stinger nets.
When is cyclone season in Airlie Beach?
1 November to 30 April, with most cyclones from January to March. Most years pass without one crossing the Whitsunday coast. Cyclone Debbie in March 2017 was the last severe cyclone to make landfall near Airlie Beach.
More Whitsundays Information
Sources
Bureau of Meteorology climate statistics, Hamilton Island Airport and Proserpine Airport stations. Bureau of Meteorology tropical cyclone reports. Whitsunday Regional Council. Live forecast, wind and radar data from Windy. Checked October 2026.
