Sunshine Coast climate
Sunshine Coast (Queensland, Australia) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 22 °C71 °F, and about 1,296 mm51 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Sunshine Coast climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2882 | 2374 | 2578 | 1626.4 |
| Feb | 2781 | 2474 | 2578 | 1917.5 |
| Mar | 2679 | 2373 | 2576 | 1706.7 |
| Apr | 2577 | 2170 | 2373 | 1104.3 |
| May | 2373 | 1865 | 2069 | 933.7 |
| Jun | 2169 | 1661 | 1965 | 973.8 |
| Jul | 2068 | 1559 | 1864 | 461.8 |
| Aug | 2170 | 1560 | 1865 | 642.5 |
| Sep | 2373 | 1763 | 2068 | 471.9 |
| Oct | 2476 | 1966 | 2271 | 883.5 |
| Nov | 2679 | 2169 | 2374 | 843.3 |
| Dec | 2781 | 2272 | 2576 | 1445.7 |
| Year | 2882 | 1559 | 2271 | 1,29651 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76% | 54% | 6.8 | 13:38 |
| Feb | 78% | 54% | 6.2 | 13:02 |
| Mar | 77% | 56% | 5.4 | 12:19 |
| Apr | 75% | 50% | 4.5 | 11:29 |
| May | 71% | 49% | 3.7 | 10:49 |
| Jun | 73% | 52% | 3.1 | 10:28 |
| Jul | 70% | 41% | 3.6 | 10:37 |
| Aug | 67% | 34% | 4.5 | 11:11 |
| Sep | 69% | 35% | 5.6 | 11:59 |
| Oct | 72% | 44% | 6.3 | 12:47 |
| Nov | 72% | 47% | 7.0 | 13:28 |
| Dec | 74% | 54% | 6.9 | 13:48 |
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 Sunshine Coast is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 28 °C82 °F and a low of 23 °C74 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 20 °C68 °F and lows 15 °C59 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 7.8 °C14.1 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,296 mm51 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 40% of the annual total. The wettest month is February (191 mm7.5 in), the driest is July (46 mm1.8 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 67% in August to 78% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 34%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 11 km/h (7 mph) in May to 12 km/h (8 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 10.5 hours in June to 13.8 hours in December.
Best time to visit Sunshine Coast
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and July–November: average highs of 20 °C68 °F to 26 °C79 °F with 46 mm1.8 in to 93 mm3.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is February, which is very wet (191 mm7.5 in) and humid (78% relative humidity).
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 Sunshine Coast
- Summer (December–February) — highs 2781 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 2272 to 24 °C74 °F, about 166 mm6.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 2373 to 26 °C79 °F, lows 1865 to 23 °C73 °F, about 124 mm4.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 2068 to 21 °C70 °F, lows 1559 to 16 °C61 °F, about 69 mm2.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 2373 to 26 °C79 °F, lows 1763 to 21 °C69 °F, about 73 mm2.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Sunshine Coast compares
Compared with Brisbane, about 90 km to the south, Sunshine Coast is on average 0.6 °C1 °F warmer and receives 18% more precipitation (1,296 mm51 in vs 1,100 mm43 in). The difference is largest in July (1.4 °C2.6 °F warmer).
Of the 39 places in Australia covered by World Climates, Sunshine Coast is the 10th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 3rd 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: Jaraguá do Sul (Brazil, Cfa), Joinville (Brazil, Cfa) and Itajaí (Brazil, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Brisbane 90 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,100 mm43 in
- Toowoomba 150 km · 18 °C64 °F · 667 mm26 in
- Gold Coast 153 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,146 mm45 in
- Gladstone 362 km · 23 °C73 °F · 839 mm33 in
- Rockhampton 447 km · 23 °C73 °F · 805 mm32 in
- Armidale 449 km · 13 °C56 °F · 882 mm35 in
- Port Macquarie 531 km · 20 °C69 °F · 1,244 mm49 in
- Maitland 691 km · 19 °C66 °F · 802 mm32 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Sunshine Coast?
January is the warmest month in Sunshine Coast, with an average high of 28 °C (82 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (74 °F).
What is the coldest month in Sunshine Coast?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 20 °C (68 °F) and an average low of 15 °C (59 °F).
When does it rain the most in Sunshine Coast?
February is the wettest month with about 191 mm (7.5 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 46 mm (1.8 in).
What is the best time to visit Sunshine Coast?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and July–November.
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.