Queensland wet season driving
The tropical cyclone season officially runs from November to April, and the wet season in northern Queensland peaks from January to March, when Cairns gets roughly 400 mm of rain in each month. You can still hire a car and drive, but check QLDTraffic before every leg. The mistake that costs the most is crossing water: Hertz treats driving through floodwater as a prohibited use and Europcar bars it too, and Queensland's advice is that 15 cm of water can move a car.
Updated
Key facts
- Cyclone season
- The Australian tropical cyclone season officially runs from November to April
- Cairns Airport mean rainfall
- January 404.8 mm, February 437.5 mm, March 422.1 mm; July 33.2 mm and August 26.5 mm; 2025.5 mm across a year
- Rain days at Cairns
- Average of 16.1 days with 1 mm or more of rain in February, against 4.9 days in each of August and September
- Whitsundays rainfall
- Hamilton Island Airport averages 297.6 mm in January and 25.8 mm in August
- How little water is enough
- As little as 15 cm of water can make a car lose traction and be swept away
- Where to check closures
- The QLDTraffic website or 13 19 40
- Closed-road signs
- Flash flooding can happen anywhere and there may be no 'road closed' sign
- Hertz prohibited use
- Driving through a flooded road or any body of water is a prohibited use
When is the wet season in Queensland?
The Bureau of Meteorology gives the Australian tropical cyclone season as November to April. The heaviest rain in the far north falls between January and March.
The Cairns Airport records show why: the long-term average is 404.8 mm in January, 437.5 mm in February and 422.1 mm in March, then 201.8 mm in April, falling to 33.2 mm in July and 26.5 mm in August. Rain days follow the same curve, about 16 days a month with 1 mm or more in the wet peak against under 5 in August and September.
Further south the Whitsundays are drier but follow the same pattern. Hamilton Island Airport averages 297.6 mm in January and 25.8 mm in August, over a shorter record of about two decades.
What is the best time to visit Cairns?
If you want to drive with the fewest weather interruptions, choose the drier months from about June to October. Winter (June to August) is the drier season, with Cairns averaging 17.5 to 26.2 degrees, and suits trips to remote places such as the tip of Cape York. Summer averages 23.6 to 31.4 degrees.
The wet season is not a write-off. It is the time of full waterfalls and lush green country, and Cairns Airport still averages about 2.5 hours less sunshine a day in February than in September (6.2 hours against 8.7). What changes is the risk of a closed road, so build a spare day into any far north itinerary between January and March.
Bruce Highway flooding and road closures: where to check
QLDTraffic is the state's source for road conditions, incidents and closures. Its website carries closures statewide, and the Queensland Government also lists 13 19 40 for checking closures and changed conditions. Check it before you leave each morning and again before any long leg, because a low-lying section of the Bruce Highway can close while the rest of the route stays open.
Do not rely on seeing a barrier. Flash flooding can happen anywhere, at any time, and there may be no 'road closed' sign. Of the flood-related deaths counted in Queensland, 87 per cent happened at creek crossings, bridges or causeways.
What do hire car agreements say about floodwater?
The wording differs by company, but the principle is the same. For example, Hertz lists driving through a flooded road or any body of water as a prohibited use, and says a prohibited use is a material breach of the agreement. Europcar's terms bar driving through flood waters, on flood-prone roads, or on any road that police or another authority has closed.
So turning back is the only option that keeps you inside the agreement. Queensland's own message is 'If it's flooded, forget it', and the state says driving into floodwater is the number one cause of flood-related deaths in Queensland.
Far north Queensland in the wet: Daintree, Cape York and unsealed roads
River and tidal conditions can affect the Daintree Ferry, so the operator asks you to check its ferry status page before you travel. The road from the ferry to Cape Tribulation is sealed, but the Bloomfield Track beyond it is a different matter: Hertz and Europcar both list the Bloomfield Track as somewhere the vehicle must not be driven, even in a 4WD.
Hertz also prohibits its vehicles from the Bourke Development Road from Chillagoe to Normanton, in Cape York, during December to May inclusive. If your plan involves unsealed roads in the wet season, it is likely to conflict with your agreement before the weather even becomes an issue.
Planning a hire car around the wet season
Keep your route on sealed highways and leave slack in the schedule.
If a highway closes behind you, do not try a detour on an unsealed road to save the day. Ring the rental company from a safe spot, tell them your position and ask what it will allow, rather than assuming a 4WD is covered.
Compare cars at Cairns Airport
Prices are shown in Australian dollars. Check the pickup point and what the agreement allows on the roads in this guide before you book.
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Questions people ask
When is the wet season in Queensland?
Cairns Airport averages over 400 mm of rain a month from January to March, and the Bureau of Meteorology gives the tropical cyclone season as November to April. Rain is far lower from June to October.
What is the best time to visit Cairns?
Winter, June to August, is typically drier. Cairns Airport averages 26.5 mm of rain in August against 437.5 mm in February.
Where can I check Bruce Highway flooding and road closures?
Use the QLDTraffic website or call 13 19 40. Check before each leg, because there may be no road closed sign at a flooded crossing.
Can I drive a hire car through floodwater?
No. Hertz lists driving through a flooded road or body of water as a prohibited use, and Europcar's terms bar driving through flood waters. Queensland's advice is that 15 cm of water can sweep a car away.
Is the Daintree open in the wet season?
The Daintree Ferry runs from 5 am to midnight daily, but river and tidal conditions can affect it, so check the ferry status page on the day.