Kimberley Weather

The Best Time For Travel - Monthly Temperatures


How's the Kimberley weather? When is the best time to travel to the Kimberley? The eternal questions...

On the previous page about the Kimberley climate I explained that we have a dry season (May - October) and a wet season (November - April).

The dry season is balmy and you don't need to worry about rain. Good weather for travel.
The wet season is very hot, humid, it rains frequently and sometimes it pours for days and everything floods. Not so good for travel.

I had also mentioned that the above is a VERY broad generalisation.

So continue reading to find out what to expect in detail, what the Kimberley weather will be like, and the day and night temperatures for every month.



The Kimberley Weather Month By Month


May - August
September - November
December - March
April


Kimberley Weather - May to August

We don't start with the beginning of the year, we start with the beginning of the travel season:

May is the real start of the tourist season and is good for flexible and adventurous people.

June to August is the main tourist season. Most travellers will visit the Kimberley during this period of time. 

  • May

    The land will be lush and green from the wet season, there might even be the odd isolated shower. There are still many insects around and it is very warm during the days. A great time to experience the waterfalls but some roads, tracks and parks may still be closed. You may need to cross some deeper rivers and creeks.

    Daily Average Max: 31.5°C / 88.7F
    Nightly Average Min: 18.1°C / 64.6F

  • June

    Everything should be open by now and the country is still lush and green.  The temperatures have dropped, river and creek crossings have dropped, the first smaller waterfalls are reducing in flow. In my opinion this is the best month for most tourists to see the Kimberley. But be aware that over the second half of June tourist numbers will increase sharply.

    Daily Average Max: 28.9°C / 84.0F
    Nightly Average Min: 15.0°C / 59.0F

  • July

    The peak of the tourist season. Daily Kimberley weather forecast: Fine.

    Clear blue skies day after day are guaranteed. Be aware that the average nightly temperature is an average. You may experience extremes, especially further inland. Places like the Bungle Bungles or Wolfe Creek can get night frosts!

    Daily Average Max: 28.9°C / 84.0F
    Nightly Average Min: 14.0°C / 57.2F

  • August

    Still a very busy month, cold nights are possible but less likely. Day temperatures are definitely on the rise, comparable to May. Many waterfalls have dried up, but the rock pools are still clear and great for swimming.

    Daily Average Max: 32.1°C / 89.8F
    Nightly Average Min: 16.7°C / 62.1F

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Kimberley Weather - Sep to Nov

The time between September and November is what we call the "Build Up". It's getting hotter and hotter, humid, oppressive, and the tension of the days is relieved in spectacular thunderstorms in the late afternoons.

  • September

    September is a great time for travel if you can handle the heat. Most of the tourists have left for cooler regions by now and you will have the place to yourself. Storms are rare and bring mostly thunder and lightning, seldom rain.

    Daily Average Max: 35.2°C / 95.4F
    Nightly Average Min: 20.4°C / 68.7F

  • October

    The land is definitely looking parched now. Especially the smaller waterholes are stagnant, smelly pools. But there is occasional relief through afternoon showers: a refreshing breeze and a sudden deluge, short, but intense and invigorating.
    People still travel the Kimberley, and they still love it, but they are few and far between now.

    Daily Average Max: 37.6°C / 99.7F
    Nightly Average Min: 23.4°C / 74.1F

  • November

    In one word: cruel. It's hot, hot, hot... by far the hottest month of the year. Even the nights are too warm to be comfortable.
    Daily Kimberley weather forecast: Isolated showers and thunderstorms.

    The more frequent showers increase the humidity (which makes the heat even more oppressive) but they don't bring the temperatures down. Some unsealed roads might be closed after rain.

    This is the one time of the year that I would avoid for travel.

    Daily Average Max: 38.4°C / 101.1F
    Nightly Average Min: 25.0°C / 77.0F

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Kimberley Weather - Dec to March

This is the wet season proper, the four wettest months. Unfortunately the rain is not spread out evenly. It may fall in a matter of a few days, causing extended flooding, and it's impossible to predict if and when that may happen.

  • December

    Can be very wet, especially towards the end, or it can be disappointing (at this point everybody is praying for rain to cool things down). Chances are that there is enough rain to warrant the closure of most unsealed roads, but the highway will remain open. The rain still happens mostly in form of thunderstorms, and the dry land can absorb staggering amounts of water.

    If the rains start early, the Kimberly will be transformed in a matter of days. Knee high grass appears over night, wildflowers burst into bloom, wildlife is frantically mating and breeding. It can be a magic time of the year, albeit stinking hot.

    Oh, and everybody is on holidays. Don't expect to find much open until mid to late January!

    Daily Average Max: 37.4°C / 99.3F
    Nightly Average Min: 24.9°C / 76.8F

  • January/February

    The wettest of the wettest months, peak cyclone season!
    Apparently the north of Western Australia is the most cyclone prone region in the world. You would have to be on the coast to experience the destructive winds, but the rain will reach far inland.

    Now is the highest risk of floods and of the highway being closed. If you want to travel, either fly or be very flexible with your schedule.

    The temperatures have dropped, but the humidity is extreme and mould is the enemy number one.

    Daily Average Max: 35.5°C / 95.9F
    Nightly Average Min: 24.5°C / 76.1F

  • March

    Like December, rather unpredictable. On average the rain is getting less, but there could be a late cyclone, you just never know.
    Also, the Kimberley is so saturated with water that it doesn't take much rain to cause the rivers and creeks to go over.
    So even if the rain is getting less, the conditions for road travel remain pretty much the same.

    Daily Average Max: 35.5°C / 95.9F
    Nightly Average Min: 23.5°C / 74.3F

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Kimberley Weather - April

Is it the end of the wet? We sniff the air, we watch the winds... When that south-easterly starts blowing it's usually a sign that it's over.

(Though with the way climate is changing, nothing is guaranteed these days!)

  • April

    The biggest change is in the rainfall. Kimberly day temperatures are still very high, and so is the humidity. It will take a while for the land and the roads to dry out. Some tracks might be passable again, the highway should be, some tourist properties and parks open, but don't count on anything. The tourists that visit at this time of the year are a pretty adventurous bunch!

    Daily Average Max: 34.3°C / 93.7F
    Nightly Average Min: 21.1°C / 70.0F

More Kimberley weather details:
Broome weather | Best time to see the Bungles

More Kimberley Western Australia Facts

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