King tides to impact Cairns from Saturday

King tides are expected to affect Cairns this week, from Saturday 11 July to Friday 17 July.

These king tides are all expected to occur overnight, with the highest tide of 3.40m is forecast for Tuesday night (14 July).

The potential impacts of king tides may be intensified by high rainfall, which could worsen flooding during this period.

During king tides, seawater can flow onto roads, footpaths and private property, potentially causing damage to vehicles and infrastructure. Saltwater flooding can damage cars immediately on contact.

Residents and visitors are urged to:

• Avoid parking vehicles in known low‑lying or tidal‑affected areas
• Never drive through floodwaters
• Exercise caution when travelling near the coast and tidal creeks.

Motorists are reminded to drive slowly and carefully to reduce bow waves, which can push water deeper into nearby homes and businesses.

Forecast king tide levels for Cairns (times and heights may vary for other locations):

• Saturday 11 July: 2.97m at 7.34pm
• Sunday 12 July: 3.19m at 8.22pm
• Monday 13 July: 3.34m at 9.07pm
• Tuesday 14 July: 3.4m at 9.50pm
• Wednesday 15 July: 3.35m at 10.31pm
• Thursday 16 July: 3.2m at 11.12pm
• Friday 17 July: 2.95m at 11.51pm

To protect public safety and private property, Council may temporarily close roads affected by tidal flooding. Motorists must obey all road closure signage and find alternative routes until conditions improve.

Streets that are most likely to be impacted by king tides include:

• Redden St, Portsmith
• Tingira St, Portsmith
• Liberty St, Portsmith
• Walters St, Portsmith
• Trawler Base Rd, Portsmith
• Bramp Cl, Portsmith
• Cook St, Portsmith
• Fearnley St, Portsmith
• Parts of Aumuller St (near Comport St), Portsmith
• Toohey St, Portsmith
• Knight St, Portsmith
• Palmer St, Portsmith
• Hartley St, Portsmith
• Hasell St, Portsmith
• Parts of Draper St (Hartley St to Kenny Street), Portsmith
• Spence St and the Esplanade intersection, Cairns City
• Corner of Lily St and the Esplanade, Cairns North

Residents should monitor the Bureau of Meteorology website for general information related to tide heights as well as the Cairns Disaster Dashboard for any additional weather warnings that may affect the Cairns region.