Rockhampton climate
Rockhampton (Queensland, Australia) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 23 °C73 °F, and about 805 mm32 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Rockhampton climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3290 | 2373 | 2781 | 1254.9 |
| Feb | 3188 | 2373 | 2780 | 1586.2 |
| Mar | 3086 | 2170 | 2678 | 1164.6 |
| Apr | 2883 | 1966 | 2374 | 421.6 |
| May | 2678 | 1560 | 2069 | 321.3 |
| Jun | 2374 | 1355 | 1865 | 451.8 |
| Jul | 2373 | 1253 | 1763 | 281.1 |
| Aug | 2576 | 1254 | 1965 | 261.0 |
| Sep | 2882 | 1559 | 2171 | 251.0 |
| Oct | 3086 | 1864 | 2475 | 481.9 |
| Nov | 3188 | 2068 | 2678 | 522.1 |
| Dec | 3290 | 2271 | 2781 | 1074.2 |
| Year | 3290 | 1253 | 2373 | 80532 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70% | 53% | 6.7 | 13:25 |
| Feb | 75% | 52% | 6.2 | 12:54 |
| Mar | 76% | 50% | 5.6 | 12:17 |
| Apr | 74% | 39% | 5.0 | 11:35 |
| May | 70% | 40% | 4.2 | 11:00 |
| Jun | 73% | 41% | 3.6 | 10:42 |
| Jul | 70% | 32% | 4.1 | 10:49 |
| Aug | 66% | 29% | 4.9 | 11:19 |
| Sep | 65% | 27% | 6.0 | 11:00 |
| Oct | 65% | 34% | 6.7 | 12:41 |
| Nov | 64% | 39% | 7.1 | 13:17 |
| Dec | 67% | 48% | 7.0 | 13:34 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Rockhampton is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 32 °C90 °F and a low of 23 °C73 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 23 °C73 °F and lows 12 °C53 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 10 °C17.9 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 805 mm32 in. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 50% of the annual total. The wettest month is February (158 mm6.2 in), the driest is September (25 mm1.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 64% in November to 76% in March. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 27%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (6 mph) in July to 13 km/h (8 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 10.7 hours in June to 13.6 hours in December.
Best time to visit Rockhampton
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–October: average highs of 23 °C73 °F to 30 °C86 °F with 25 mm1.0 in to 48 mm1.9 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is February, which is hot, with average highs of 31 °C88 °F and very wet (158 mm6.2 in).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Rockhampton
- Wetter months (December–March) — highs 3086 to 32 °C90 °F, lows 2170 to 23 °C73 °F, about 126 mm5.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (April–November) — highs 2373 to 31 °C88 °F, lows 1253 to 20 °C68 °F, about 37 mm1.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Rockhampton compares
Of the 39 places in Australia covered by World Climates, Rockhampton is the 7th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 19th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Australia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Maputo (Mozambique, Aw), Port Saint Lucie (United States, Cfa) and Cape Coral (United States, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Gladstone 93 km · 23 °C73 °F · 839 mm33 in
- Sunshine Coast 447 km · 22 °C71 °F · 1,296 mm51 in
- Toowoomba 487 km · 18 °C64 °F · 667 mm26 in
- Brisbane 520 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,100 mm43 in
- Gold Coast 591 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,146 mm45 in
- Townsville 597 km · 25 °C77 °F · 875 mm34 in
- Armidale 800 km · 13 °C56 °F · 882 mm35 in
- Cairns 872 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,935 mm76 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Rockhampton?
January is the warmest month in Rockhampton, with an average high of 32 °C (90 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (73 °F).
What is the coldest month in Rockhampton?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 23 °C (73 °F) and an average low of 12 °C (53 °F).
When does it rain the most in Rockhampton?
February is the wettest month with about 158 mm (6.2 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 25 mm (1.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Rockhampton?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April–October.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 87 m, while Rockhampton lies at about 13 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.5 °C0.9 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.