Best time to visit Airlie Beach
Australia · 20-year averages
August is the best month in Airlie Beach, scoring 95 out of 100, with January the weakest at 52. The 43-point spread means timing is worth planning around without being decisive. The good window runs May to October — 6 months within ten points of the best.
December is the warmest month at 30.4 °C and July the coolest at 23.2 °C — a 7.2 °C spread across the year. Around 63 days a year top 30 °C, concentrated in December and the months either side.
There is a real wet season here. January to March carry the rain — up to 18 wet days in a month — while July to October drop as low as 3. That 15-day gap is the biggest single difference between a good month and a bad one in Airlie Beach, and it moves further than the temperature does.
The sea never drops below 23.1 °C, so swimming is on the table year round. Daylight runs from 10.9 hours in winter to 13.3 in summer, enough to notice on a sightseeing itinerary.
The three strongest months are August, September, July. The one to think twice about is January. Each month below has its own page with rainfall reliability, extremes, daylight, sea temperature and crowd levels.
Airlie Beach month by month
| Month | High °C | Low °C | Rain days | Daylight h | Sea °C | Score | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29.9 | 25.1 | 17 | 13.2 | 28.4 | 52 | Shoulder season |
| February | 29.6 | 25.2 | 18 | 12.8 | 28.6 | 53 | Shoulder season |
| March | 28.8 | 24.5 | 15 | 12.2 | 28.3 | 62 | Shoulder season |
| April | 27.5 | 22.8 | 10 | 11.6 | 27.2 | 79 | Prime time |
| May | 25.7 | 20.3 | 8 | 11.2 | 25.8 | 87 | Prime time |
| June | 23.9 | 18.1 | 6 | 10.9 | 24.3 | 89 | Prime time |
| July | 23.2 | 17.1 | 3 | 11 | 23.2 | 94 | Prime time |
| August | 24.2 | 17.4 | 3 | 11.4 | 23.1 | 95 | Prime time |
| September | 26.3 | 19.4 | 3 | 12 | 24 | 95 | Prime time |
| October | 28.1 | 21.5 | 5 | 12.5 | 25.3 | 86 | Prime time |
| November | 29.3 | 23.2 | 8 | 13.1 | 26.5 | 75 | A good month |
| December | 30.4 | 24.7 | 11 | 13.3 | 27.8 | 62 | Shoulder season |
Planning the rest of the trip
- Where to eat & stay in Airlie Beach every café, restaurant and hotel
- Flight time to Airlie Beach how long you are actually in the air
- Airlie Beach time zone and the difference from home
- Days until your trip count down to the departure date
- Gyms & clubs in Airlie Beach keep training while you are there