Kakadu (Jabiru) weather in December
December in Kakadu: sweltering, soaked, with clean air — not the time — 16 rainy days.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#10 of 12 months in Kakadu · #1317 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 36/100 (tier F)
- Days
- 36°C
- Nights
- 25°C
- Wet days
- 16
- Sun
- 10.2 h
- Humidity
- 75%
- Daylight
- 13 h

Traveller notes on Kakadu in December
Other months in Kakadu
Kakadu-forum threads on a February visit are direct: this is genuinely the wettest month of the year, posters calling roughly 320 millimeters of rain typical and humidity high enough that sleeping comfortably can be a real challenge without air conditioning. Regulars call a portion of the park inaccessible this time of year, swollen rivers and muddy roads cutting off usual sites. Posters recommend boat cruises out of Cooinda or Jabiru as a genuine highlight, the Yellow Water cruise reaching areas that stay underwater this season. Regulars call February possibly the toughest month logistically, though there's still real value staying flexible around daily-changing conditions. Posters recommend checking current road status rather than a fixed itinerary. Regulars call the waterfalls and lush landscape a genuine reward for anyone willing to adapt. The record: 34.1C days feeling like a punishing 40C, 24.9C nights, an extraordinarily high 352.7mm across over 18 days and 82 percent humidity.
Kakadu-forum threads on April describe this as still genuinely wet season, posters calling the rains tapering off but far from finished, water levels only slowly receding as the month goes on. Regulars call several tracks still closed, crocodiles needing to be cleared from some sites before access reopens, a real safety consideration rather than bureaucratic caution. Posters describe some spots normally 2WD in the dry season as requiring 4WD in April due to creek crossings still running. Regulars call humidity genuinely high overnight, uncomfortable sleeping a real complaint from anyone camping rather than staying in air-conditioned accommodation. Posters recommend checking current road and track status with the visitor center before a route. Regulars call the landscape genuinely green and striking despite the access limitations. The record: 35.1C days feeling like a punishing 38C, 24.4C nights, 79.8mm across over 5 days and 66 percent humidity.
Kakadu-forum threads on a March visit call conditions genuinely hot and humid, posters describing this as still deep within the region's heavier system season even as the calendar edges toward the settled months. Regulars call February and March typically the wettest stretch of the year, real flooding a standing possibility that can close off entire sections of the park. Posters recommend confirming current road status, four-wheel-drive tracks routinely closed through this window regardless of the forecast for a specific day. Regulars describe scenic flights and boat trips as reliable alternatives when ground routes are impassable. Posters call the landscape genuinely lush and green, waterfalls off the escarpment often still running strong. Regulars recommend real caution around waterways given how far crocodiles range once levels rise. The record: 34.8C days feeling like a punishing 41C, 25.1C nights, an extraordinarily high 248.6mm across over 15 days and 79 percent humidity.
Kakadu-forum threads on late May confirm this sits right at the start of the dry season, still ahead of the main tourist rush, posters describing it as genuinely comfortable though occasionally warm and humid rather than fully settled cool-season conditions. A real advantage of this early window is the amount of water still flowing over the park's major waterfalls, fed by the tail end of the previous wetter stretch, before levels drop through later months. Most of the park is reported accessible to a standard 2WD vehicle by late May barring an unusually heavy recent system, though posters recommend checking road status before the more remote unsealed routes. Regulars call the balance of good access, flowing waterfalls and thinner crowds a genuine sweet spot against the busier, drier peak later in the season. Sun protection remains essential regardless of season. The record: 33.9C days feeling like a punishing 38C, 22.7C nights, 53 percent humidity and 9.6 hours of sun.
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Kakadu climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Kakadu 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.
BusySummer holidays in Australia, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Kakadu'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).
Toughest weatherKakadu's weather peaks May–July.
December coincides with The build-up.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Kakadu in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Rule
Swim only where it is checked
1 Jan – 31 DecRiskSaltwater crocodiles move all over the park with the water, and rangers survey and clear the few plunge pools that open each dry. Everywhere else is closed to swimming, permanently and for good reason. Source ↗
- Season
The build-up
1 Oct – 15 Dec · usuallyExtreme heatLocals call October to December the build-up: still, heavy air and thunderheads that stack up for weeks before they deliver. Tours wind down, tempers fray, and the lightning is the show.
- Closure
Southern roads and falls close
1 Nov – 31 May · usuallyThe four-wheel-drive tracks to the big falls and most of the unsealed south shut with the first rains and reopen only once the crossings drop, which is often well into the dry. Source ↗
- Hazard
Cyclone season
1 Nov – 30 AprSystems crossing the Top End coast bring days of torrential rain and wind rather than a direct blow. The highways in from Darwin can be cut for days, and Jabiru is where you wait it out. Source ↗
Where is Kakadu?
Kakadu in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Kakadu?
- December in Kakadu: sweltering, soaked, with clean air — not the time — 16 rainy days. It ranks #10 of 12 months for Kakadu on SeasonMap's comfort score (36/100).
- What is the weather like in Kakadu in December?
- In December, Kakadu averages a daily high of 35.8°C and a low of 25.4°C, with about 249.5 mm of rain over roughly 15.7 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Kakadu in December?
- Kakadu has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 28 in December.