Wet Season and Cyclone Prep for Cairns Drivers

This guide is for Cairns drivers getting their car ready for the wet season and cyclone season, from Palm Cove down to Gordonvale. It covers what Queensland's emergency services advise for vehicles, the electrical checks worth doing before the rain sets in, the Queensland rules on using your lights in bad weather, and why floodwater and car electrics don't mix.

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How wet Cairns gets

Bureau of Meteorology climate averages for Cairns Aero show mean rainfall of more than 400 mm in each of January, February and March, and an annual mean of about 2,000 mm. December and April are wet too, though less so. Most of the year's rain falls in a few months, which is when wipers, lights and seals get tested hardest.

Get Ready Queensland says the cyclone season runs from 1 November to 30 April, while noting cyclones can occur outside those dates. Cairns has seen what a slow-moving system can do. Get Ready Queensland describes Tropical Cyclone Jasper in December 2023 as the wettest tropical cyclone in Australian history. The Barron River reached a record height, more than 900 homes were flooded, and Holloways Beach was cut off.

What the official advice says about vehicles

Queensland SES and Get Ready Queensland publish a Severe Weather Safety Guide. Read the whole guide, because your household plan matters more than your car. At the time of writing, its vehicle advice included these points:

• Keep your car fuelled and ready in case you need to evacuate, and keep caravans and boats secured and ready.
• Before a cyclone or flood, put fuel in your car and park it in a sheltered area.
• In a storm, park under cover or away from trees, power lines and creeks.
• If you're caught driving in a storm, stop clear of trees, power lines and creeks, and use a sheltered car park if you can.
• Check road closures on QLDTraffic or by calling 13 19 40 before you head out.

Lights in heavy rain: the Queensland rules

The Queensland Government's page on common road rules says you must have your headlights, tail-lights and number plate lights on when driving at night, and in bad weather that reduces visibility, such as heavy rain. A tropical downpour on the Bruce Highway or the Captain Cook Highway in the middle of the day counts.

The same page says you can only use front or rear fog lights when poor weather makes it hard to see other vehicles or objects, and you must not use them in clear weather, day or night. High beam must be off when another vehicle is closer than 200 m. Rules can change, so check the current rules on the Queensland Government website before relying on this summary.

Electrical checks to do before the rain

October and November, before the heavy rain arrives, is the easy time to sort out electrical faults. Once the wet starts, every job takes longer and workshops get busier. Work through this list with a helper outside the car.

• Headlights on low and high beam, plus tail-lights, number plate lights, brake lights and indicators. Replace any dead globes in pairs so both sides match.
• Look for water or fogging inside headlight and tail-light lenses. Moisture inside a lamp can corrode the globe holder and cause flickering.
• Wipers on every speed, including intermittent. Make sure they park properly at the bottom of the screen.
• Washer pump and jets. A pump that hums but doesn't spray may be blocked; one that is silent may have a fuse, wiring or pump fault.
• Air con and demister. In humid weather the air con is what keeps the windscreen clear, so a weak system becomes a safety problem.
• Battery. Have it tested if it's more than a few years old, so the car starts when you need to leave in a hurry.

Keeping phones and radios going in a power outage

The Severe Weather Safety Guide lists a mobile phone with chargers and a power bank, a torch, and a battery-powered AM/FM radio with spare batteries in its emergency kit. If the power is off for days after a cyclone, the car is often the only way left to recharge things.

A car's USB ports or 12V socket will charge phones and power banks. For a laptop or similar, a small inverter can help. Our guide on choosing and installing an inverter covers sizing and safe use. Keep loads small, and don't flatten the starting battery you'll need if you have to evacuate.

Never run the engine in a closed garage, or in a carport that has been closed in with tarps or boards. Exhaust fumes build up quickly and can kill.

Floodwater and car electrics

The official message is simple: never drive through floodwater. If it's flooded, forget it. The Severe Weather Safety Guide says driving into floodwater is the number one cause of flood-related deaths in Queensland, and that a road that hasn't flooded before can still flood. Low-lying areas such as Portsmith, which sits less than 10 m above sea level, need extra care in heavy rain.

Water also does serious damage to the electrics. It can get into the starter motor, alternator, engine sensors and the control modules that many cars mount under the seats or carpet. Problems may not show up for weeks, as connectors corrode.

• If water has come up to the floor or higher, don't try to start the car.
• Disconnect the battery if it's safe to do so, and call your insurer before anyone starts repairs.
• Have the car properly assessed before driving it again.
• Keep away from a hybrid or EV that has been submerged. Its high-voltage system is for licensed professionals only.

After the storm passes

Wait for official advice that it's safe before going out. Treat every fallen power line as live, and never drive over one. Check QLDTraffic for closures before you travel, especially on roads that cross creeks along the Southern Corridor.

Before driving, walk around the car. Clear leaves from the drains at the base of the windscreen, because blocked drains can send water into the cabin and onto wiring. Check lights and mirrors for damage, and look for wet carpet. If the car smells damp or the carpet is soaked, get it dried out before mould and corrosion take hold.

Parts for this job

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Questions Cairns drivers ask

When is cyclone season in Cairns?

Get Ready Queensland says the cyclone season runs from 1 November to 30 April, though cyclones can form outside those dates. Bureau of Meteorology averages show January to March are the wettest months in Cairns. Use the drier months before November to fix lights, wipers and battery problems and to stock your emergency kit.

Do I have to use my headlights in heavy rain in Queensland?

Yes. Queensland Government guidance says you must have your headlights, tail-lights and number plate lights on at night and in bad weather that reduces visibility, such as heavy rain. Fog lights may only be used when poor weather makes it hard to see, and never in clear weather. Check the current rules on the Queensland Government website.

What should I do if my car has been in floodwater?

Don't start it if water reached the floor or higher. Starting a flooded engine can cause major damage, and current through wet wiring can ruin modules. Disconnect the battery if it's safe, contact your insurer, and have the car assessed before you drive it. Keep clear of submerged hybrids and EVs and leave them to licensed professionals.

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