Airlie Beach Weather In February

airlie beach weather in February

February is right in the middle of the wet season in Airlie Beach. Which naturally means that it will be wet. Though certainly not all the time, most of our rain happens at night.

Temperature

In February, Airlie Beach and The Whitsundays will be a hot tropical destination that hovers around 30 degrees celsius.

Heatwaves and monsoonal rain come and go with a dramatic effect on the temperature. A monsoonal trough can drop temperatures by as much as 7 degrees and a heatwave, generally caused by a synoptic ridge, can see temperatures soar above 40 degrees. There is no dancing around the fact that summer in North Queensland can be hot. Luckily in Airlie Beach and The Whitsundays, we almost always have a cool breeze to make things more comfortable.

Staying in a hotel with a pool is essential, though if that is not an option for you, then stay close to the main street to utilize the foreshore lagoon.

airlie beach lagoon

Rain

It will definitely rain in January, though the good news is that the majority of rain happens between 10 pm and 4 am. It is actually quite rare for it to rain during the day. Even if it does rain during the day, it will generally clear up pretty quickly. When it does rain, it can rain hard, which is amazing to see. Considering half of our country is in drought, we don’t complain.

Wind

Wind in Airlie Beach and The Whitsundays is generally quite predictable and we can make a safe bet that there will be a consistent breeze from the south-east. February is known to throw some curveballs though and it’s not uncommon to see northerly winds coming down from Cape York. Northerly winds bring dry air, which helps to bring the humidity down.

Northerly winds don’t have a huge impact on conditions here, it’s just a little warmer than a breeze flowing up from down south.

Sea Conditions

With the rapidly changing weather in February, it’s normal to think that would have a large effect on the sea state. Luckily in Airlie Beach and The Whitsundays, we are provided with lots of natural protection.

A tour around The Whitsundays in high winds versus a tour in low winds will be more or less the same, provided you are on the right boat.

Thundercat was specifically built to be stable and comfortable all year round, no matter what the weather throws our way. Click here to check it out.

thundercat whitsundays

So Should You Visit Airlie Beach In February?

Yes, definitely. It’s generally sunny through the day and rainy at night, just like Bali, Thailand, Fiji, Vanuatu and Florida. The temperature is perfect for lazy pool days and the warmth makes cocktails taste just that little bit better.

Another major advantage to visiting in February is that it’s our quiet season. February is our quietest month which means, hotels are cheaper, restaurant bookings are not required and tour boats will be more like private charters.