March 2025 goes down as wettest on record in Far North

The Far North has recorded its wettest March rainfall totals in history, with records up to 111-year-old records smashed in 2025.

The wet season has arrived in Far North Queensland, with heavy rain falling across Cairns overnight. Pheobe Molenaar, 9, embraced the wet weather by finding some puddles to jump in when she got off the bus with her mother on Mulgrave Road. Picture: Brendan Radke

Far North Queensland has recorded its wettest March rainfall totals in history, with 111-year-old records smashed in 2025.

Bureau meteorologist Helen Reid said many places across the region received their highest rainfalls in history.

The Cardwell range recorded its highest rainfall totals in 58 years at 1900mm while Babinda recorded its highest March total at 1084mm.

“At this stage, it does look like (a lot of) places got their highest (rainfall totals) for the month of March,” Ms Reid said.

“We’ve had a number of flooding occasions so far this year and that's why where in the record breaking figures,” she said.

“Everyone will remember March 2025 as being the wettest on record.”

An active monsoon trough has brought heavy rain to Cairns earlier this week, with the chance of more wet weather returning by the weekend. Picture: Brendan Radke

Reid said the wet weather would continue throughout the weekend particularly around Cardwell and further south to Townsville.

“Thursday is looking at another 50mm possibility for Cardwell, with falls expected between 15mm and 30mm on Saturday and Sunday,” she said.

“Cairns itself is going to get a bit less with 10-15mm expected each day, but at this stage, the higher rainfall is focused more to the Herbert River and around the Burdekin.”

Despite the higher than average March totals, Ms Reid said the rain was brought on by an active monsoon trough.

“We’re just an active phase of the monsoon through at the moment, no signs in the way of a tropical cyclone, just broad rainfall and a mix of an active trough coming in from the west,” she said.

“It’s just the wet season doing what the wet season does.”

Despite the rain, temperatures were still expected to reach the 30C mark.

“We’ve got top temperatures for Cairns looking at about 31C to 32C for coming week with constant minimum of 25C and Innisfail looking at tops of 30C to 31 with minimum temps of 24C, and that’s the range right across the region,” she said.

“More humidity is bringing rain so there’s a lot of moisture in the air at the moment.”

Originally published as March 2025 goes down as wettest on record in Far North