SeasonMapPort Douglas (Great Barrier Reef) weather by month
Australia
The best time to visit Port Douglas (Great Barrier Reef) is August to October — 92/100 in September, 29°C and 7 rainy days. The best season is the dry season, May to November (88/100 on average).
The worst month is January at 59/100 — sweltering, soaked, clean air. See January →
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Planning the wider trip? Best time to visit Australia →
Port Douglas, month by month
Comfort score out of 100 for the kind of trip Port Douglas is best for, the average high, rainy days and hours of sun a day from the climate normals, and how busy it tends to be.
| Month | Score | Tier | High | Rain | Sun | Crowds | On |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanJanuary | 59 | D | 33°C | 19 d | 9 h | Peak | 3 |
| FebFebruary | 65 | C | 33°C | 16 d | 9 h | Quiet | 2 |
| MarMarch | 60 | C | 32°C | 19 d | 9 h | Quiet | 2 |
| AprApril | 75 | B | 30°C | 15 d | 10 h | Busy | 2 |
| MayMay | 82 | A | 28°C | 12 d | 10 h | Peak | 3 |
| JunJune | 88 | A | 26°C | 8 d | 10 h | Peak | 2 |
| JulJuly | 87 | A | 26°C | 8 d | 10 h | Peak | 2 |
| AugAugust | 91 | S | 27°C | 6 d | 10 h | Busy | 1 |
| SepSeptember | 92 | S | 29°C | 7 d | 11 h | Peak | 1 |
| OctOctober | 90 | S | 32°C | 6 d | 12 h | Peak | 1 |
| NovNovember | 86 | A | 33°C | 7 d | 12 h | Shoulder | 2 |
| DecDecember | 70 | B | 34°C | 14 d | 11 h | Peak | 3 |
What's on in Port Douglas through the year
Festivals, natural spectacles, holidays and the seasons to watch out for — curated and sourced. The month pages carry the detail.
Crowds in Port Douglas in September
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 crowdsDry season, Spring break in Australia, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet