Best time to visit Lizard Island
The best time to visit Lizard Island is during the winter dry season from May to November.
You can expect sunny skies, fresh sea breezes, low humidity and average daytime temperatures of 27ºC (80ºF), with a low of 21°C (69°F).
Lizard Island weather
Lizard Island has a hot tropical climate with a winter dry season from May to November, and a wet season from December to April. You can still expect brief rain showers at anytime.
What is the best month to visit Lizard Island?
Overall, September is the best month to visit Lizard Island, since rainfall is at its lowest.
However, the months of May through November are all excellent – the climate is perfect with warm sunny weather, mainly clear blue skies and little or no rainfall.
Which is the hottest month in Lizard Island?
The hottest month in Lizard Island is usually December, with an average high temperature of 32°C (89°F), high heat and humidity and an average low of 25°C (77°F).
However, on the warmest days of the month, the temperature may climb to around 34°C (93°F).
The hot season lasts from November through to mid-February, with an average daily high temperature above 31°C (87°F).
Which is the coldest month in Lizard Island?
The coldest month in Lizard Island is July, with an average high temperature of 26°C (78°F), and a night-time average low of 21°C (69°F).
Which is the sunniest month in Lizard Island?
The sunniest time of year in Lizard Island is normally October with bright sunshine on average for 69% of daylight hours; that's nine hours of sunshine per day.
When is the sea warmest in Lizard Island?
The sea is usually at its warmest in Lizard Island in January, February and March when the water temperature reaches 29°C (84°F), which is pleasant for swimming and diving.
However, the sea water is warm enough to swim year-round in Lizard Island.
Lizard Island – Temperature averages
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Average high temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 32 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 32 | 32 |
| Average low temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| Average daily sunshine (hrs) | |||||||||||
| 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Average daily daylight (hrs) | |||||||||||
| 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
| Comfort level – heat | |||||||||||
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| Average sea temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 28 |
Weather stations: Cape Flattery AWS and Cooktown Airport AWS, located 36km (22mi) and 90km (55mi) southwest of Lizard Island, respectively. These stations are deemed sufficiently nearby to be relied upon as the primary source for historical climate records, although weather conditions on Lizard Island may vary slightly. Source: Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). Climate data collected during 2000 to 2023.
What is the humidity in Lizard Island?
Lizard Island experiences significant seasonal variation in humidity, with approximate average relative humidity calculated at between 62% – 80% over the course of the year.
What do the humidity conditions feel like in Lizard Island?
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 annual dew point in Lizard Island is 20°C (68°F), and varies over the course of the year from mainly comfortable at 17°C (62°F) to unpleasantly muggy at 24°C (75°F).
The more humid time of year in Lizard Island lasts from mid-September through to mid-June, when you can expect the comfort level to be muggy at least 40% of the time.
The months with the most muggy days in Lizard Island are January, February and March, with every day in each month feels muggy or worse.
July and August are generally more comfortable, with an average of eight days in each month that may feel humid.
Lizard Island – Humidity and UV averages
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Comfort level – humidity (#muggy days) | |||||||||||
| 30 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 23 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 26 | 30 |
| Average dew point temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 23 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | |||||||||||
| 76 | 80 | 79 | 75 | 74 | 75 | 75 | 69 | 65 | 62 | 64 | 69 |
| UV Index (max) | |||||||||||
| 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ |
Which month has the most rain in Lizard Island?
February is usually the wettest month in Lizard Island with 277mm (11in) of rainfall on average, distributed across 15 days; while March has 17 days with some rainfall.
The wet season lasts from mid-December to mid-April, with a greater than 40% chance of rainfall on any given day.
The drier season lasts from mid-April to mid-December. The month with the least rainfall in Lizard Island is September, with an average of 2mm (‹1in) of rainfall, distributed across two days.
Which is the windiest month in Lizard Island?
The windiest month in Lizard Island is August, with an average hourly wind speed of 19 kilometres per hour (12 mph; 10 knots).
The windy part of the year lasts from mid-March through to late-November, with average wind speeds of more than 16 kilometres per hour (10 mph; 8.6 knots).
The less-windy time of year lasts from late-November through to mid-March. The calmest month of the year in Lizard Island is February, with an average hourly wind speed of 13 kilometres per hour (8 mph; 7 knots).
The predominant average hourly wind direction is from the east throughout the year.
Is there a risk of a tropical storm in Lizard Island?
The risk of a tropical storm in Lizard Island is greatest between January and March. with a risk probability of 3.5% in March. The region is prone to tropical cyclones, which usually form between November and May.
Lizard Island – Rainfall and wind averages
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Average days of rainfall (≥1mm) | |||||||||||
| 16 | 15 | 17 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| Average monthly rainfall (mm) | |||||||||||
| 251 | 277 | 268 | 126 | 50 | 33 | 33 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 16 | 76 |
| Average wind speed (km/h) | |||||||||||
| 14 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 15 |
Holiday seasons
High season: June to October during the dry season;
Low season: November to May.
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.
Latest update: Best time to visit Lizard Island: 14 July, 2024
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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