Atherton Tablelands - Climate

The climate at the Atherton Tablelands is redundantly described as "naturally air-conditioned." While this descriptive term is accurate, it is only relevant for visitors from hot climates such as the coastal town of Cairns. For interstate or international visitors, the climate at the Atherton Tablelands could be described as warm in the winter and stifling hot in the summer. It's all a matter of perception.

The Atherton Tablelands begins 60 kilometres west of Cairns, and ranges in altitude from 600 to 1100 metres. The area is free of coastal humidity and high temperatures, making it very comfortable.

In summer, temperatures rarely exceed 30 degrees Celsius during the day, and drop to 19-20 degrees at night. During winter, the daytime temperature is a restful 22 degrees in most areas and the nights are perfect for cuddling in front of a fire while the outside temperature hovers around 11 degrees. This is a climate that allows for comfortable daytime activities and refreshing nights.

The average rainfall in the area is 1400mm, which means the flora on the Atherton Tablelands is a lovely tropical green most of the year. During drought, crater lakes become very popular with locals and visitors because they do not lower in water level. They are spring fed and remain at a constant level that is perfect for swimming and water activities.

Climate data for Atherton, Mareeba, Lake Tinaroo and Herberton is included in the tables below. Notice that the temperatures in Mareeba are considerably higher than in other regions at the Atherton Tablelands. This is due to the lower altitude and closer proximity to the coast than other towns in the region. The contrast between summer temperatures and winter temperatures in all locations is much more pronounced than in coastal regions such as Cairns.

All temperatures are measured in degrees Celsius, and rainfall levels are measured in millimetres. The following data is provided by the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology.

Climate data for Atherton

Average Daily Maximum Temperature - Atherton
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
29	28.1	27.2	25.6	23.4	22.1	21.8	22.9	24.6	27.7	29.3	29.7
Average Daily Minimum Temperature - Atherton
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
18.3	18.6	17.8	15.5	13.5	11	10.4	9.9	11.6	13.6	16	17.2
Average Rainfall per month - Atherton
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
288.5	304.7	257.5	106.3	60.3	46.3	30	24.3	22.1	27.3	74.2	171.9

Climate data for Mareeba

Average Daily Maximum Temperature - Mareeba
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
31.2	30.8	29.9	28.5	27	25.6	25.4	26.5	28.3	30.5	32.1	31.5
Average Daily Minimum Temperature - Mareeba
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
20.9	20.9	20	17.2	15.1	12.1	11	11.7	13.4	16.1	18.6	20.1
Average Rainfall per month - Mareeba
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
200.5	251.4	192.7	43.9	23.6	14.9	7.2	6.7	4.6	14.7	57.7	106.9

Climate data for Kairi (Tinaroo Dam)

Average Daily Maximum Temperature - Tinaroo Dam
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
28.2	27.4	26.3	24.8	22.9	21.3	21	22.5	24.6	26.9	28.3	28.7
Average Daily Minimum Temperature - Tinaroo Dam
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
19.1	19.5	18.5	16.8	14.9	11.9	11.2	11.7	12.8	15	17.2	18.4
Average Rainfall per month - Tinaroo Dam
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
246.8	267.5	254.2	101.7	59.9	38.5	26.5	24.6	18.9	29.9	74.8	135.5

Climate data for Herberton

Average Daily Maximum Temperature - Herberton
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
28	27.3	26.3	24.6	22.9	21.6	21.4	22.7	24.9	27.5	28.6	28.9
Average Daily Minimum Temperature - Herberton
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
18.2	18.3	17.5	15.6	13.2	10.6	9.7	10.1	12	14.3	16.2	17.5
Average Rainfall per month - Herberton
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
238.4	229.7	214.4	86	46.9	33.3	22	18.2	16.5	26.2	77.3	137.9