Following recent rainfall across parts of northern Queensland, the Reef Authority is working closely with our partners to monitor conditions across the Marine Park.

The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts a monsoon trough will develop in the coming days, along with a tropical low off the coast of far northern Queensland. This is expected to bring high levels of rainfall to catchments of the Wet Tropics and Cape York with a moderate chance of it developing into a tropical cyclone by 8 January 2026.

Temperature

From 29 December 2025 to 4 January 2026, sea surface temperatures across the Marine Park remained above average, with the highest temperatures recorded in the Far Northern and Northern regions at 29.1−29.8°C. Waters were slightly cooler in the Central and Southern regions at 28.6−28.3°C.

Most reefs in the ...