‘Pretty cloudy, pretty humid’ conditions ahead for Cairns and the Far North
Find out what the final weather forecast for 2022 means for New Year’s celebrations and activities on the water.
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Rains have provided a welcome break from the Far North’s typically brutal December heat and are here to stay for the week ahead, with the Bureau hinting at a muggy year end with a smattering of rain.
The Christmas weekend brought showers to the Innisfail and Tully region, with some of the bigger falls being recorded in Fishers Creek, which received 141mm, 124mm in Garradunga, and 113mm in Babinda.
Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Danny Johnson said the biggest falls around Cairns were 13mm at the racecourse.
“We had a bit of a south-easterly breeze that pushed the rain away. It mostly hit the southern coastline.”
“Pretty cloudy and pretty humid” is the way of the week as the wet season really kicks into gear, with the outlook for the next few days indicating showers and possible storms, according to Mr Johnson.
“Temperatures have come down a little because of the cloud cover, but it traps the heat in and creates, humid sort of conditions,” Mr Johnson said.
“The overnight minimums around the region are 19 to 23C with maximums in the realm of 25-31C.”
While the Tablelands will be a tad cooler with temperatures ranging between 20 – 26C, no-one gets to escape the mugginess, with the relative humidity sitting between 60 and 70% west of the Lamb Range, 89% at the Cairns Racecourse and 91% in Innisfail.
“For New Years, it is still looking a bit uncertain but at the moment, we are looking at a shower or two on both days,” Mr Johnson said.
“It is wet season time, so anywhere between 0-20mm in the forecast. Partly cloudy weather can be expected with temperatures in the range of 24 – 31C.”
Despite the damp conditions, it’s business as usual for local reef operators, with tours packed to the rafters and people happy to “experience the Great Barrier Reef in any way”.
Cairns Reef Fishing owner Nick Kelly reckoned the hot humid weather and calm winds were perfect for fun and adventure.
“What we find often when there is a weather condition like this, is that the fishing actually improves,” Mr Kelly said.
“We run with the theory that the fish are feeding prior to going into hiding. It doesn’t add up but certainly always seems to be the case.”
There are currently no active cyclone alerts for the region.
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