Climate Design Data: Cairns, Australia

Direct answer

NASA POWER's 2001–2020 climatology at the Cairns reference point reports an annual mean 2 m temperature of 22.4 °C and relative humidity of 81.1%. The highest monthly maximum is 39.2 °C in November, while the lowest monthly minimum is 7.5 °C in June; these are screening statistics, not code design temperatures. The point response uses LST and the 20-year Meteorological and Solar Monthly & Annual Climatologies (January 2001 - December 2020); its annual corrected precipitation is 5.30 mm/day and annual 10 m wind speed is 2.85 m/s. For climate design data, use the 39.2 °C and 7.5 °C monthly extrema to screen seasonal exposure, then obtain the adopted percentile design conditions. NASA POWER is gridded climatology: verify elevation, microclimate, urban exposure, station or weather-file suitability, current code edition and the authority's required source before design use.

Prepared by Harth · Harth transformed the cited NASA POWER climatology into this screening table; project design conditions and local applicability remain unreviewed · Published 2026-08-26 · Updated 2026-08-31.

What must be verified for Cairns?

Cairns is represented here at approximately -16.9237, 145.7661 for discovery and workflow planning. A project address, parcel, elevation, exposure, authority, and submission date must replace that city-centre reference before design use.

How should climate design data be established?

1. Fix the surveyed site and local time basis.
2. Select an authoritative weather source or a named solar-position algorithm.
3. Record period, percentile or scenario and units.
4. Test sensitivity to elevation, exposure, urban form and horizon.
5. Save the source file, retrieval date and checker in the model record.

What are the limits of this worksheet?

This climate-design-workflow page is a project-starting worksheet, not a design value or approval. The controlling authority and qualified professionals for the Cairns site remain authoritative.

Which related searches does this primary location record cover?

This primary route consolidates the location evidence needed for Climate Design Data, Weather File Guide, Overheating Weather Data, Building Climate Checklist. A narrower route should be released only when it adds a materially different official source, calculation, process, threshold or worked example.

Cairns NASA POWER monthly climate screening table

Month-by-month climate interpretation

• January: mean temperature 24.99 °C is 2.63 °C above the annual mean; the monthly max–min span is 17.87 °C. Relative humidity is 85.12% (4.04 points above annual), while corrected precipitation at 11.37 mm/day is 6.07 mm/day wetter than the annual daily rate.
• February: mean temperature 24.88 °C is 2.52 °C above the annual mean; the monthly max–min span is 16.20 °C. Relative humidity is 87.57% (6.49 points above annual), while corrected precipitation at 13.89 mm/day is 8.59 mm/day wetter than the annual daily rate.
• March: mean temperature 23.96 °C is 1.60 °C above the annual mean; the monthly max–min span is 13.98 °C. Relative humidity is 88.42% (7.34 points above annual), while corrected precipitation at 12.66 mm/day is 7.36 mm/day wetter than the annual daily rate.
• April: mean temperature 22.45 °C is 0.09 °C above the annual mean; the monthly max–min span is 16.15 °C. Relative humidity is 86.89% (5.81 points above annual), while corrected precipitation at 6.37 mm/day is 1.07 mm/day wetter than the annual daily rate.
• May: mean temperature 20.71 °C is 1.65 °C below the annual mean; the monthly max–min span is 17.55 °C. Relative humidity is 84.93% (3.85 points above annual), while corrected precipitation at 3.31 mm/day is 1.99 mm/day drier than the annual daily rate.
• June: mean temperature 19.32 °C is 3.04 °C below the annual mean; the monthly max–min span is 22.62 °C. Relative humidity is 84.04% (2.96 points above annual), while corrected precipitation at 2.09 mm/day is 3.21 mm/day drier than the annual daily rate.
• July: mean temperature 18.65 °C is 3.71 °C below the annual mean; the monthly max–min span is 19.53 °C. Relative humidity is 81.39% (0.31 points above annual), while corrected precipitation at 1.71 mm/day is 3.59 mm/day drier than the annual daily rate.
• August: mean temperature 19.34 °C is 3.02 °C below the annual mean; the monthly max–min span is 23.78 °C. Relative humidity is 77.03% (4.05 points below annual), while corrected precipitation at 0.99 mm/day is 4.31 mm/day drier than the annual daily rate.
• September: mean temperature 21.24 °C is 1.12 °C below the annual mean; the monthly max–min span is 22.12 °C. Relative humidity is 74.03% (7.05 points below annual), while corrected precipitation at 1.04 mm/day is 4.26 mm/day drier than the annual daily rate.
• October: mean temperature 23.11 °C is 0.75 °C above the annual mean; the monthly max–min span is 21.33 °C. Relative humidity is 72.65% (8.43 points below annual), while corrected precipitation at 2.00 mm/day is 3.30 mm/day drier than the annual daily rate.
• November: mean temperature 24.42 °C is 2.06 °C above the annual mean; the monthly max–min span is 21.74 °C. Relative humidity is 73.85% (7.23 points below annual), while corrected precipitation at 2.86 mm/day is 2.44 mm/day drier than the annual daily rate.
• December: mean temperature 25.44 °C is 3.08 °C above the annual mean; the monthly max–min span is 19.63 °C. Relative humidity is 77.43% (3.65 points below annual), while corrected precipitation at 5.79 mm/day is 0.49 mm/day wetter than the annual daily rate.

Harth retrieved this point climatology from NASA POWER API v2.9.7 for location record 2172797. It is a reproducible screening dataset, not an hourly weather file, forecast, code design condition or substitute for local professional review.

Where can you explore related guidance?

• Explore all climate data guidance
• Climate Design Data: Mackay, Australia
• Climate Design Data: Rockhampton, Australia
• Climate Design Data: Hervey Bay, Australia
• Climate Design Data: Sunshine Coast, Australia

Sources and method

Location data from the GeoNames AU dump (CC BY 4.0, snapshot 2026-08-31, GeoNames ID 2172797). Regulatory starting point: Australian Building Codes Board and the applicable state or territory authority. Figures are illustrative — verify against the current locally adopted edition for the site. Climate screening data from the NASA POWER Climatology API documentation and exact point response, retrieved 2026-08-31; source period: 20-year Meteorological and Solar Monthly & Annual Climatologies (January 2001 - December 2020). NASA POWER values are gridded screening statistics, not code design conditions or guaranteed local observations.

Source links

• download.geonames.org

• ncc.abcb.gov.au

• power.larc.nasa.gov

• power.larc.nasa.gov