It is the southernmost of the Willis Islets, a group of three islands which with their associated sandy cays stretch in a NNE to SSW line for about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi).

The Willis Island weather monitoring station was established in 1921 and equipped with a radio transmitter in order to provide a cyclone early warning service for Queensland.

[6] A wind gust speed of 185 kilometres per hour (115 mph) was recorded by the weather station equipment before the anemometer failed.

A Bureau of Meteorology spokeswoman later said the core building sustained minor damage to the roof, deck covering and one of the solar panels.

[7] Meteorology staff on the island were evacuated again in 2023 by a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) warship before Cyclone Jasper passed through the area on 11 December.

Two satellite television systems enable reception of Australian Channel 10 and the ABC, and free-to-air transmissions from countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia.

Programming includes the American television channels CNN and MTV and an extensive video library completes the passive entertainment options.

[13][14] In the past, landfill was buried on the island, and occasionally high winds and heavy seas from a cyclone would uncover parts of the waste.

Today, all waste generated on the island, as well as any debris that washes ashore, is placed in bins and shipped back on the staff exchange vessel for appropriate disposal on the mainland.

Three formal Occupational Health and Safety investigations on Willis Island have been undertaken by independent assessors – GHD (2007 and 2011) and Parsons Brinkerhoff (April 2011 – after TC Yasi).

Occasionally old asbestos cement sheet washes up on Willis Island and is collected and bagged before being transported back to the mainland where it is disposed of in line with the Queensland Government's EPA legislative requirements.

[15] Other birds mentioned by John King Davis are the buff-banded rail as a resident, wood sandpiper, and sacred kingfisher and red-tailed tropicbird as occasional visitors.

High temperatures are similar year-round, but Cairns averages cooler nights in the wet and dry seasons, along with lowered humidity.

[17] Temperature is slightly cooler in the dry season during the day and night: averages range from 28.5 °C (83.3 °F) in February to 24.4 °C (75.9 °F) in July and August.