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• Infrared thermal imaging technology was used to predict the development of coal cracking under cyclic loading of dry and wet coal. • Data fitting analysis show that there was a single exponential attenuation function relationship between average infrared radiation temperature (AIRT) and dissipated strain energy of samples. • Utilizing the Particle Flow Code (PFC) software simulation the fracture development of samples. The continuous mining activities at the working face cause periodic disturbances to the surrounding coal rock mass. Investigating the response characteristics of surface infrared radiation temperature, energy evolution features, and fracture development patterns in coal rock under cyclic loading and unloading is crucial for enhancing our understanding of the mechanisms of damage, degradation, and instability in rocks associated with mining operations. In this research work, we conducted infrared radiation observation experiments on both dry and wet coal samples subjected to uniaxial cyclic loading and unloading. Furthermore, we carried out a thorough analysis of the resulting temperature variations, energy changes, and fracture evolution patterns. It was found that the average infrared radiation temperature (AIRT) generally increases during the loading phase and decreases during the unloading phase, with the variance of successive minus infrared image temperature (VSMIT) exhibiting a sharp change just prior to failure. Energy analysis indicates that dissipated energy during the pore compaction and elastic deformation stages is minimal, while in the plastic deformation stage, the proportion of dissipated energy to total energy increases, displaying a "concave" upward trend. Additionally, fitting results show that the AIRT follows a single exponential decay relationship with dissipated energy, with wet coal exhibiting a greater decay coefficient, highlighting that moisture accelerates the rate of temperature decline. The Particle Flow Code (PFC) simulation results further demonstrate that the number of cracks in dry coal samples significantly exceeds that in wet coal samples, showing a single exponential relationship between the number of fractures and dissipated energy, which indicates that the development of fractures in dry coal rock occurs at a faster rate with increasing dissipated energy compared to wet coal rock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]