Best time to visit Monkey Mia - Shark Bay
To avoid the intense heat of summer, the best time to visit Monkey Mia and Shark Bay is between April and October, when you can experience warm sunny days with clear blue skies.
Monkey Mia - Shark Bay weather
Shark Bay experiences a desert climate with very hot summers and warm to mild winters.
What is the best month to visit Monkey Mia – Shark Bay?
May is the best month to visit Monkey Mia – the weather is warm and sunny, with clear blue skies, little to no rainfall and pleasantly warm sea water, which is perfect for swimming.
However, anytime is good to visit Monkey Mia and Shark Bay as it really depends on what you want to do:
April through May – Expect balmy days and a gentle sea breeze. Locals reckon that this the best time to visit for swimming, boating, camping and stargazing.
June to September – Sunny days in the mid-20°Cs (77°Fs), with cold nights hovering around 11°C (51°F) and crisp morning winds, which are best suited to kayaking, paddle boarding and hiking.
October to March – Expect high temperatures but the dry, windy days make this is the perfect time for surfing and kite-boarding.
What's the best month for nature activities at Monkey Mia - Shark Bay?
The seasonal rhythm of life in Monkey Mia – Shark Bay, produces highlights of nature throughout the year, including…
July to September – Wild-flowers,
December to February – Turtles nesting,
January to March – Turtles hatching, and
July to October – Humpback whales.
Which is the hottest month in Monkey Mia?
The hottest month in Monkey Mia is usually February, with an average high temperature of 34°C (93°F), with high heat and humidity, and a low of 22°C (71°F).
However, on the warmest days of the month, the temperature may exceed 40°C (104°F).
The hot season lasts from December through March, with an average daily high temperature above 32°C (89°F).
What is the coldest month in Monkey Mia?
July is the coldest month in Monkey Mia, with an average high of 23°C (73°F) and an average night-time low of 10°C (50°F).
The cool season lasts from early-June to mid-September, with an average daily high temperature below 25°C (77°F).
When is it sunniest in Monkey Mia?
The sunniest time of year in Monkey Mia is normally November and December with bright sunshine for 12 hours each day – that's around 87% of daylight hours.
When is the sea warmest in Monkey Mia?
The sea is usually at its warmest in Monkey Mia in March when the water temperature reaches 26°C (78°F), which is pleasant for swimming, snorkelling and diving.
The sea is warmer from December through May, with an average temperature above 24°C (75°F), which is warm enough for swimming.
Cooler sea water prevails from June through November, with an average temperature below 22°C (71°F).
The coldest water in Monkey Mia is in September, with an average temperature of 19°C (66°F), which is cold for swimming.
Monkey Mia / Shark Bay – Temperature averages
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Average high temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 34 | 34 | 34 | 31 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 32 |
| Average low temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 21 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 20 |
| Average daily sunshine (hrs) | |||||||||||
| 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| Average daily daylight (hrs) | |||||||||||
| 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 |
| Comfort level – heat | |||||||||||
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| Average sea temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 25 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 24 |
Weather station: Shark Bay Airport (MJK), located 8km (5mi) north of Denham and 18km (11mi) south of Monkey Mia. Source: Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). Climate data collected during 2000 to 2024.
What is the humidity in Monkey Mia?
Monkey Mia experiences notable seasonal variation in humidity, with approximate average relative humidity calculated at between 49% – 70% over the course of the year.
What do the humidity conditions feel like in Monkey Mia?
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 Monkey Mia is 13°C (55°F), and varies over the course of the year from dry at 10°C (50°F) to comfortable at 17°C (62°F).
The more humid time of year in Monkey Mia is from early-December through April, when you can expect the comfort level to feel humid at least 18% of the time.
The month with the most muggy days in Monkey Mia is February, with around 20 days that may feel humid.
May through November is generally comfortable.
Monkey Mia / Shark Bay – Humidity and UV averages
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Comfort level – humidity (#muggy days) | |||||||||||
| 16 | 20 | 16 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| Average dew point temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 14 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | |||||||||||
| 57 | 58 | 55 | 58 | 62 | 67 | 70 | 61 | 55 | 51 | 49 | 51 |
| UV Index (max) | |||||||||||
| 11+ | 11+ | 11 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 11+ | 11+ |
Does it ever rain in Monkey Mia?
June usually has the most rain in Monkey Mia, with an average of 44mm (‹2in) of rainfall distibuted across four days.
The wetter season lasts from mid-May to mid-August, with a greater than 9% chance of a given day being a wet day.
Typically, you can expect little to no rain in Monkey Mia. The dry season from mid-August to mid-May.
Which is the windiest month in Monkey Mia?
The windiest month in Shark Bay – Monkey Mia is usually December, with an average hourly wind speed of 28 kilometres per hour (17 mph; 15 knots).
Cyclone season is from November to the end of April, although cyclones are infrequent.
Typically, September to March is the windiest time of year in the Shark Bay – Monkey Mia region, with average wind speeds of more than 24 kilometres per hour (15 mph; 13 knots).
The months with the least wind in the Monkey Mia region are May and June, with an average hourly wind speed of 19 kilometres per hour (12 mph; 10 knots). The less-windy period lasts from March to September.
The predominant average hourly wind direction at Monkey Mia is from the south throughout the year.
Monkey Mia / Shark Bay – Rainfall and wind averages
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Average days of rainfall (≥1mm) | |||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Average monthly rainfall (mm) | |||||||||||
| 7 | 26 | 17 | 11 | 24 | 44 | 30 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Average wind speed (km/h) | |||||||||||
| 28 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
Holiday seasons
High season: April to October, during the cool winter season.
Low season: November to March.
Despite the hot weather, the traditional Christmas/New Year holiday season in December and January is also a busy time in Shark Bay and Monkey Mia, with hotels and flights in high demand.
Monkey Mia & Shark Bay weather by month
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.
More about the Coral Coast…
Latest update: Best time to visit Shark Bay / Monkey Mia, WA: 19 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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