Best time to visit the Gold Coast

The best time to visit the Gold Coast is anytime: the Gold Coast receives more than 300 days of sunshine each year.

For a beach holiday, the best time is from mid-September to late-April, when the weather is warm and sunny, despite the occasional rain shower during the summer months.

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Gold Coast weather

The Gold Coast experiences a humid subtropical climate characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to warm winters.

Summer, from December to February, is generally the most popular time of year, even though humidity is relatively high and you can expect the occasional storm.

Autumn and spring are more pleasant, with less humidity and still plenty of sunshine, while winter is pleasantly mild to warm, with little-to-no rain.

What is the best month to visit the Gold Coast?
June through September are the best months to visit the Gold Coast since this is the driest part of the year and the weather is mild and sunny with clear blue skies, and little to no rainfall. However, the sea is a bit cool for swimming.

For hot-weather activities on the beach – swimming, snorkelling, surfing and sunbathing – the best months to visit the Gold Coast are from December to March during summer.

Which is the hottest month in the Gold Coast?
The hottest month of the year in the Gold Coast is normally January, with an average high temperature of 29°C (84°F), with moderate to high heat and a low of 22°C (72°F).

However, on the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 33°C (92°F).

During the summer months, from December to February, temperatures may reach 38°C (100°F), with high humidity and an extreme UV Index.

Which is the coldest month in the Gold Coast?
The coldest month of the year in the Gold Coast is normally July, with average maximum daytime temperatures of 21°C (69°F) and a night-time average low of 12°C (53°F).

Winter is also the driest time of the year.

When is it sunniest in the Gold Coast?
The sunniest month in the Gold Coast is usually August, with eight hours of sunshine each day; that's around 74% of daylight hours.

When is the sea warmest in the Gold Coast?
The sea is usually at its warmest in the Gold Coast in February when the water temperature averages 26°C (78°F), which is pleasant for swimming.

From late-December to mid-April, the sea water is warm, with an average temperature above 25°C (77°F), which is warm enough for swimming.

Cooler sea water temperatures last from late-June to early-October, with an average temperature below 22°C (71°F), which is barely acceptable for swimming.

The month with the coolest water is August, with an average temperature of 21°C (69°F).

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Gold Coast – Temperature averages

Weather station: Gold Coast Seaway – northern end of Southport Spit – located 12km (7mi) from the Gold Coast CBD. Source: Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). Climate data collected during 1992 to 2024.

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What is the humidity in the Gold Coast?
The Gold Coast experiences seasonal variation in humidity, with approximate average relative humidity calculated at between 61% – 72% over the course of the year.

What do the humidity conditions feel like in the Gold Coast?
We derive the humidity comfort level – what conditions feel like – from the dew point temperature, which measures moisture content in the atmosphere: a higher dew point feels more humid, while a lower dew point feels drier.

Meteorologists agree that dew point temperature is a more consistant indication of 'absolute humidity' than relative humidity, which fluctuates with temperature.

The average dew point in the Gold Coast is 16°C (71°F), and varies over the course of the year from comfortable at 10°C (50°F) to muggy at 21°C (70°F).

The more humid time of year lasts from November to March, when you can expect the comfort level to be muggy at least 20% of the time.

The month with the most muggy days in the Gold Coast is January, with around 21 days that feel muggy or worse.

May through September is generally more comfortable, with less than two days in any month that feel humid.

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Gold Coast – Humidity and UV averages

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Which month has the most rain in the Gold Coast?
February is normally the wettest month in the Gold Coast with 147mm (5.7in) of rainfall on average, distributed across 10 days.

The rainy season lasts from late-October to late-May, with a greater than 27% chance of a given day being a wet day.

Rain falls throughout the year on the Gold Coast, and is heaviest in summer, with thunderstorms and torrential showers occasionally lasting for several days at a time.

The drier season lasts from late-May to late-October. The month with the least rainfall in the Gold Coast is August, with 24mm (1in) of rainfall on average.

Which is the windiest month in Gold Coast?
November is the windiest month of the year, with an average hourly wind speed of around 20 kilometres per hour (12 mph; 11 knots).

October through March are usually the windiest months in Gold Coast, with average wind speeds of more than 19 kilometres per hour (12 mph; 10 knots).

The predominant wind direction in Gold Coast varies throughout the year. The wind is most often from the south from early-April to late-August, with a change from the north until late-December, with a further change from the east until early-April.

Is there a risk of a tropical storm in the Gold Coast?
The risk of a tropical storm in the Gold Coast is greatest between December and March, with a high risk factor of around 1.5% of a storm occurring in February.

Queensland has an excellent cyclone warning system that provides plenty of advance notice of an impending cyclone.

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Gold Coast – Rainfll and wind averages

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Holiday seasons

High season: Australian and New Zealand school holidays, especially from mid-December to the end of January, and Easter.

An Australian phenomena, known as Schoolies Week, sees the Gold Coast crowded with graduating high school students (first from Queensland then New South Wales) for two weeks during mid-November to early December.

Low season: Good deals are available outside the major holiday periods.

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Gold Coast weather by month

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Advice on the best time to visit a particular destination is based on average local weather statistics, when the weather conditions are generally better than at other times of the year. We consider high and low temperatures, risk of rain (and thunderstorms, etc.), amount of sunshine and sea temperature. For general outdoor activities we favour clear, rainless days with a temperature range between 18°C (64°F) and 27°C (80°F); and for hot-weather activities we favour clear, rainless days with a temperature range between 24°C (75°F) and 32°C (89°F). Often, the best times to visit correspond to high season and therefore involve higher prices.

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Latest update: Best time to visit the Gold Coast: 13 July, 2024

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Disclaimer: The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data and conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable. We assume no responsibility and can not be held legally responsible for any decisions made on the basis of the information presented on this site.

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