Darwin weather by month & the best time to visit
Australia · beach resort · tropical — wet & dry seasons climate

The best time to visit Darwin is June — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 96/100), with July and August close behind. Darwin averages about 2,969 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 30°C / 86°F and roughly 3 mm of rain in June.
When is the best time to visit Darwin?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Darwin is June, then July and August. The dullest month is January (69/100, 379 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Darwin?
Darwin gets a lot of sun: around 2,969 hours a year. June (96/100) is noticeably better than January (69). It ranks #70 of 118 destinations in Australia for annual sunshine, below the national median of 3,071 hours. Rain is strongly seasonal here: roughly 62% of the year's 1,655 mm falls in the three months around January.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 69 | 30° / 86°F | 28° / 82°F | 379 mm | 11 | 31° / 88°F |
| February | 69 | 30° / 86°F | 27° / 81°F | 355 mm | 12 | 31° / 88°F |
| March | 69 | 30° / 86°F | 27° / 81°F | 286 mm | 12 | 31° / 88°F |
| April | 79 | 31° / 88°F | 26° / 79°F | 98 mm | 11 | 31° / 88°F |
| May | 92 | 30° / 86°F | 23° / 73°F | 24 mm | 9 | 29° / 84°F |
| June | 96 | 30° / 86°F | 21° / 70°F | 3 mm | 8 | 27° / 81°F |
| July | 96 | 30° / 86°F | 21° / 70°F | 2 mm | 9 | 26° / 79°F |
| August | 96 | 31° / 88°F | 23° / 73°F | 2 mm | 10 | 28° / 82°F |
| September | 93 | 32° / 90°F | 25° / 77°F | 17 mm | 12 | 30° / 86°F |
| October | 77 | 33° / 91°F | 27° / 81°F | 58 mm | 13 | 32° / 90°F |
| November | 71 | 32° / 90°F | 28° / 82°F | 140 mm | 12 | 32° / 90°F |
| December | 69 | 31° / 88°F | 28° / 82°F | 291 mm | 11 | 32° / 90°F |
Sea temperature in Darwin by month
The sea off Darwin is warmest in October at around 32°C / 90°F, and coolest in July at 26°C / 79°F. The water sits at a comfortable 21°C or warmer roughly all year round. Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
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Darwin: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Darwin?
Darwin is a beach resort in Australia with a tropical — wet & dry seasons climate — the sea reaches 32°C at its warmest and is swimmable (21°C+) year-round.
How many hours of sunshine does Darwin get a year?
Darwin gets about 2,969 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around June.
When is the best time to visit Darwin?
The sunniest time to visit Darwin is June, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 96/100 (with July and August close behind). Expect daytime highs around 30°C / 86°F.
What is the least sunny month in Darwin?
January is the least sunny month in Darwin, scoring 69/100 with about 379 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in Darwin?
The sea in Darwin ranges from about 26°C (July) to 32°C (October). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Darwin?
The typical midday UV index in Darwin peaks around 13 (extreme) in October, easing to about 8 (very high) in June. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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