Gold Coast (Surfers Paradise) weather in December
December in Gold Coast: hot, rainy, with clean air — an excellent time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#6 of 12 months in Gold Coast · #261 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 86/100 (tier A)
- Days
- 28°C
- Nights
- 21°C
- Wet days
- 9
- Sun
- 11.6 h
- Humidity
- 77%
- Daylight
- 14 h

Traveller notes on Gold Coast in December
Other months in Gold Coast
Regulars call this the last stretch of winter, sunny days in the low-to-mid 20s Celsius the norm even as mornings, evenings and the sea breeze can still push it toward genuinely cool. Our row backs that mild, still-dry read, 22.7C over 12.8C nights feeling 12C, with rain light at 41mm across 4.5 days and humidity at 71 percent. Regulars are consistent the wind specifically is what catches people off guard, a sunny-looking day still needing a windbreaker layer once that sea breeze picks up. This remains a genuinely good month for beach walks and outdoor sightseeing without summer's crowds or heat, though the sea itself stays too cool for most to swim comfortably. The sea sits at 20.4C. The record: 9.6 hours of sun, a 14.7 kph wind and AQI 40.
November opens the summer here and the board's summary is hot, humid, mostly sunny, with a good chance of an afternoon storm - one visitor compares early November to standing in a sauna. Our row runs a little milder than the thirty degrees they quote, 27C reading as 29C at 74.7 percent humidity, over 19C nights, and the storms show in the shape of the rain rather than the total: 100.2mm across only 7.9 days. The sea is 22.8C. The advice regulars repeat matters more than any of that - swim at a patrolled beach and between the flags, and read the lifesavers' board, which posts the day's currents and whether bluebottles have blown in. The record: 11.3 hours of sun, a 17 kph wind and AQI 42.
Regulars call September one of the best months here - mid-20s, usually rain-free, the odd windy day - and then split it by a school calendar. The Queensland holidays take the last two weeks, so prices climb and the theme parks fill; the first fortnight is the same weather without any of that. Our row supports the weather half at 24.2C over 14.9C with 40.3mm across 5 days. On the water they are careful: about 22C, which they call a bit cool but fine for the beach, and our 21.2C agrees - children mind it less than adults do. The record: humidity 73 percent, 10.3 hours of sun, a 16.6 kph wind and AQI 42.
Forum posters call October a genuinely great window: daytime highs in the high 20s to low 30sC, pleasant nights, warming up nicely without tipping into full summer heat, and mostly bright, sunny days with only occasional rain as humidity starts building toward summer. Two scheduling notes worth knowing: the first couple weeks of October overlap with NSW/Victoria/Queensland school holidays, and the Gold Coast 600 car race (October 20-21 in a recent year) fills Surfers Paradise and books out a lot of accommodation - outside those windows, posters call it close to ideal beach weather.
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Gold Coast climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Gold Coast in December
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsSchoolies, Australian summer holidays, Summer holidays in Australia(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Gold Coast's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherGold Coast's weather doesn't swing hard through the year — comfort stays fairly steady in every month.
What's on in Gold Coast in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Hazard
Cyclone and storm season
1 Nov – 30 Apr · usuallyCyclone seasonCyclones themselves rarely reach this far south, but their remains and the east coast lows that follow strip the beaches most summers, and the afternoon storms shut the theme park rides for an hour at a time. Source ↗
- Hazard
Bluebottle season
1 Nov – 31 Mar · usuallyInsects & diseaseSummer northeasterlies push rafts of bluebottles onto the open beaches and the lifesavers close them for the afternoon; a bad weekend runs to hundreds of stings on this coast alone. The sheltered points fare better. Source ↗
- Holiday
Schoolies
21 Nov – 12 DecSchool holidaysCrowdedThree weeks from mid-November when school leavers take over Surfers Paradise in tens of thousands. The beachfront is fenced and policed nightly, and families move up the coast to Burleigh and Palm Beach for it. Source ↗
- Holiday
Australian summer holidays
15 Dec – 26 JanSchool holidaysCrowdedBook earlySix weeks when the whole east coast is off school and Surfers, Broadbeach and Burleigh are booked out. Apartment rates roughly double and the Gold Coast Highway is solid from late morning. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Gold Coast — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Gold Coast?
Gold Coast in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Gold Coast?
- December in Gold Coast: hot, rainy, with clean air — an excellent time to visit. It ranks #6 of 12 months for Gold Coast on SeasonMap's comfort score (86/100).
- What is the weather like in Gold Coast in December?
- In December, Gold Coast averages a daily high of 28.2°C and a low of 20.7°C, with about 135.9 mm of rain over roughly 8.7 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Gold Coast in December?
- Gold Coast has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 39 in December.
Within 300 km: Brisbane's Queensland summer holidays around 11 Dec – 27 Jan.