Extreme rain in Australia, 4 to 23 October 2018

Name: Extreme rain in Australia, 4 to 23 October 2018
Start: 2018-10-04
End: 2018-10-23
Location: Australia

Extreme rain in Australia, 4 to 23 October 2018: 875 records at 593 stations, peak on 13 October 2018. Closed.

Data as of 2026-10-17. Last revised 17 October 2026 (2026-10-17).

Key Facts

Extreme rain in Australia, 4 to 23 October 2018 set or tied 875 station records at 593 stations.
It ran from 4 October 2018 to 23 October 2018 (20 days) and its peak day was 13 October 2018.
Status: closed.
Double Island Point Lighthouse set a daily record precipitation of 72.0 mm (2.8 in) on 13 October 2018.
The busiest day was 13 October 2018 with 150 records.
The oldest broken record in the ranked list had stood for 133 years.

Footprint

4 to 23 October 2018

The area covered by Extreme rain in Australia, 4 to 23 October 2018 is outlined, with 20 of the stations that set records marked, coloured by record type. Made with Natural Earth.

Footprint of Extreme rain in Australia, 4 to 23 October 2018: stations that set records in the event
Station	Type	Value	Date
Double Island Point Lighthouse	Record daily precipitation	72.0 mm (2.8 in)	2018-10-13
Wateranga	Record daily precipitation	89.8 mm (3.5 in)	2018-10-13
Kinnoul	Record daily precipitation	66.0 mm (2.6 in)	2018-10-13
Eidsvold Post Office	Record daily precipitation	78.6 mm (3.1 in)	2018-10-13
Maryborough	Record daily precipitation	63.6 mm (2.5 in)	2018-10-13
Pilliga (Nirvana)	Record daily precipitation	51.0 mm (2.0 in)	2018-10-17
Cathcart (Old Post Office)	Record daily precipitation	41.4 mm (1.6 in)	2018-10-10
Rookwood (Hawthorne Ave)	Record daily precipitation	73.0 mm (2.9 in)	2018-10-05
Mount Joseph	Record daily precipitation	108.8 mm (4.3 in)	2018-10-13
Eumundi - Crescent Rd	Record daily precipitation	72.0 mm (2.8 in)	2018-10-13
Cooranbong (Avondale)	Record daily precipitation	44.0 mm (1.7 in)	2018-10-05
Paterson Post Office	Record daily precipitation	52.0 mm (2.0 in)	2018-10-05
Low Isles Lighthouse	Record daily precipitation	51.4 mm (2.0 in)	2018-10-14
Mount Kingsley	Record daily precipitation	59.0 mm (2.3 in)	2018-10-13
Mt Tamborine Fern St	Record daily precipitation	62.0 mm (2.4 in)	2018-10-22
Colodan	Record daily precipitation	88.2 mm (3.5 in)	2018-10-13
Bolton Point (the Ridge Way)	Record daily precipitation	91.0 mm (3.6 in)	2018-10-04
South West Rocks (Smoky Cape L	Record daily precipitation	117.0 mm (4.6 in)	2018-10-06
Craigie (Finchley)	Record daily precipitation	42.6 mm (1.7 in)	2018-10-21
Ivanhoe (Baden Park)	Record daily precipitation	23.0 mm (0.9 in)	2018-10-17

Records per Day

Peak day 150

Records set or tied each day from 4 October 2018 to 23 October 2018. The most in one day was 150 on 13 October 2018.

Records per day during Extreme rain in Australia, 4 to 23 October 2018
Date	Records
2018-10-04	10
2018-10-05	84
2018-10-06	46
2018-10-07	12
2018-10-08	12
2018-10-09	7
2018-10-10	64
2018-10-11	86
2018-10-12	73
2018-10-13	150
2018-10-14	56
2018-10-15	41
2018-10-16	42
2018-10-17	51
2018-10-18	40
2018-10-19	28
2018-10-20	5
2018-10-21	38
2018-10-22	28
2018-10-23	2

Top Records by Margin

Margin over the record replaced

Top records of Extreme rain in Australia, 4 to 23 October 2018 ranked by margin
Mount Joseph, 10-13	78.6 mm (3.1 in)
Colodan, 10-13	70.0 mm (2.8 in)
South West Rocks (Smoky Cape L, 10-06	70.0 mm (2.8 in)
Bolton Point (the Ridge Way), 10-04	68.9 mm (2.7 in)
Wateranga, 10-13	66.4 mm (2.6 in)
Double Island Point Lighthouse, 10-13	56.5 mm (2.2 in)
Eumundi - Crescent Rd, 10-13	50.2 mm (2.0 in)
Maryborough, 10-13	49.4 mm (1.9 in)
Eidsvold Post Office, 10-13	47.6 mm (1.9 in)
Rookwood (Hawthorne Ave), 10-05	45.6 mm (1.8 in)
Mount Kingsley, 10-13	45.0 mm (1.8 in)
Kinnoul, 10-13	43.9 mm (1.7 in)
Mt Tamborine Fern St, 10-22	34.3 mm (1.4 in)
Paterson Post Office, 10-05	29.6 mm (1.2 in)
Pilliga (Nirvana), 10-17	29.2 mm (1.1 in)

Margin is how far the new value is beyond the record it replaced. Ties are not shown.

Margin Against Age of the Broken Record

500 records plotted by how far they beat the old record (across) and how many years the old record had stood (up). Long standing records beaten by a wide margin sit in the top right.

Margin against age of the broken record in Extreme rain in Australia, 4 to 23 October 2018
Margin (mm)	Years the old record stood
57	117
66	84
44	91
48	84
49	117
29	104
28	108
46	65
79	48
50	84
25	105
30	101
26	128
45	52
34	99
21	101
70	44
70	35
69	44
27	45
22	124
27	108
18	96
33	84
18	68
37	44
54	48
16	127
50	35
60	35
33	76
55	41
17	100
34	47
12	100
16	118
15	95
27	104
25	75
61	35
51	48
27	72
20	126
13	87
10	96
72	19
19	104
50	24
26	59
8	133
60	11
59	32
28	65
59	7
90	24
80	32
71	25
44	44
16	75
50	43
67	0
40	35
48	47
31	21
36	49
12	116
94	11
58	11
19	80
17	88
47	48
27	41
32	44
35	59
46	35
9	88
34	47
13	91
35	64
9	118
33	40
41	19
2	88
34	65
9	112
38	35
25	56
49	35
23	63
8	104
6	116
8	115
32	44
20	68
21	32
42	25
21	40
46	32
18	84
27	47
7	104
36	20
40	43
8	101
58	9
7	121
5	129
18	68
14	84
44	39
53	16
26	44
5	116
35	19
10	79
7	80
4	104
29	35
37	51
41	7
24	64
16	88
23	48
5	108
5	113
52	1
22	44
3	76
11	80
4	109
16	76
47	35
3	124
38	47
22	47
4	66
4	113
13	84
26	43
2	128
15	63
33	49
39	1
25	35
5	87
6	80
20	47
24	47
3	99
24	48
25	47
18	45
5	84
0	113
0	109
28	13
17	65
23	44
20	44
17	44
15	59
6	80
1	100
12	53
0	113
9	80
41	35
2	93
7	83
23	44
8	79
16	48
16	45
30	51
15	65
13	65
36	17
37	31
14	44
22	29
38	39
26	48
25	47
21	48
72	0
1	95
27	17
13	60
31	32
27	9
10	75
39	35
20	64
52	17
14	47
22	47
17	41
15	0
28	48
18	53

Compared With Other Events

Station records per event

Station records in Extreme rain in Australia, 4 to 23 October 2018 compared with similar events
Extreme rain in United States and Mexico, 23 February to 15 March 2019	2,223 records
Extreme rain in United States, 3 to 19 January 2024	2,133 records
Extreme rain in Australia, 7 to 26 March 2021	2,099 records
Extreme rain in United States and Mexico, 29 September to 19 October 2018	1,970 records
Extreme rain in United States, 19 December 2022 to 13 January 2023	1,941 records
Extreme rain in Australia, 4 to 23 October 2018 (this event)	875 records

Every Record Set

20 of 875

Every record set or tied during Extreme rain in Australia, 4 to 23 October 2018, in date order
Date	Station	Record	Value	Margin	Years stood	Significance
2018-10-04	Bolton Point (the Ridge Way)	Record daily precipitation	91.0 mm (3.6 in)	68.9 mm (2.7 in)	44	58 of 100 (Notable)
2018-10-05	Rookwood (Hawthorne Ave)	Record daily precipitation	73.0 mm (2.9 in)	45.6 mm (1.8 in)	65	65 of 100 (Major)
2018-10-05	Cooranbong (Avondale)	Record daily precipitation	44.0 mm (1.7 in)	24.7 mm (1.0 in)	105	62 of 100 (Major)
2018-10-05	Paterson Post Office	Record daily precipitation	52.0 mm (2.0 in)	29.6 mm (1.2 in)	101	62 of 100 (Major)
2018-10-06	South West Rocks (Smoky Cape L	Record daily precipitation	117.0 mm (4.6 in)	70.0 mm (2.8 in)	35	58 of 100 (Notable)
2018-10-10	Cathcart (Old Post Office)	Record daily precipitation	41.4 mm (1.6 in)	28.4 mm (1.1 in)	108	66 of 100 (Major)
2018-10-13	Double Island Point Lighthouse	Record daily precipitation	72.0 mm (2.8 in)	56.5 mm (2.2 in)	117	80 of 100 (Exceptional)
2018-10-13	Wateranga	Record daily precipitation	89.8 mm (3.5 in)	66.4 mm (2.6 in)	84	75 of 100 (Major)
2018-10-13	Kinnoul	Record daily precipitation	66.0 mm (2.6 in)	43.9 mm (1.7 in)	91	72 of 100 (Major)
2018-10-13	Eidsvold Post Office	Record daily precipitation	78.6 mm (3.1 in)	47.6 mm (1.9 in)	84	70 of 100 (Major)
2018-10-13	Maryborough	Record daily precipitation	63.6 mm (2.5 in)	49.4 mm (1.9 in)	117	69 of 100 (Major)
2018-10-13	Mount Joseph	Record daily precipitation	108.8 mm (4.3 in)	78.6 mm (3.1 in)	48	64 of 100 (Major)
2018-10-13	Eumundi - Crescent Rd	Record daily precipitation	72.0 mm (2.8 in)	50.2 mm (2.0 in)	84	63 of 100 (Major)
2018-10-13	Mount Kingsley	Record daily precipitation	59.0 mm (2.3 in)	45.0 mm (1.8 in)	52	60 of 100 (Major)
2018-10-13	Colodan	Record daily precipitation	88.2 mm (3.5 in)	70.0 mm (2.8 in)	44	59 of 100 (Notable)
2018-10-14	Low Isles Lighthouse	Record daily precipitation	51.4 mm (2.0 in)	25.5 mm (1.0 in)	128	61 of 100 (Major)
2018-10-17	Pilliga (Nirvana)	Record daily precipitation	51.0 mm (2.0 in)	29.2 mm (1.1 in)	104	67 of 100 (Major)
2018-10-17	Ivanhoe (Baden Park)	Record daily precipitation	23.0 mm (0.9 in)	21.2 mm (0.8 in)	101	20 of 100 (Routine)
2018-10-21	Craigie (Finchley)	Record daily precipitation	42.6 mm (1.7 in)	26.9 mm (1.1 in)	45	58 of 100 (Notable)
2018-10-22	Mt Tamborine Fern St	Record daily precipitation	62.0 mm (2.4 in)	34.3 mm (1.4 in)	99	60 of 100 (Major)

The daily ledgers keep a limited number of records per day, so this list has 20 of the 875 records the event counts. The counts above use the full total.

Related Headlines

Third party news, headline and link only

Download the Data

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Climatology Network Daily (GHCN-Daily). Records are computed by World Extreme Weather Monitor and are not official NOAA products. (US Government open data (NOAA NCEI)) Data as of 2026-10-17. Events are found by this site from station records and are not official designations. Records are provisional until reprocessed.

Margin (mm)	Years the old record stood
57	117
66	84
44	91
48	84
49	117
29	104
28	108
46	65
79	48
50	84
25	105
30	101
26	128
45	52
34	99
21	101
70	44
70	35
69	44
27	45
22	124
27	108
18	96
33	84
18	68
37	44
54	48
16	127
50	35
60	35
33	76
55	41
17	100
34	47
12	100
16	118
15	95
27	104
25	75
61	35
51	48
27	72
20	126
13	87
10	96
72	19
19	104
50	24
26	59
8	133
60	11
59	32
28	65
59	7
90	24
80	32
71	25
44	44
16	75
50	43
67	0
40	35
48	47
31	21
36	49
12	116
94	11
58	11
19	80
17	88
47	48
27	41
32	44
35	59
46	35
9	88
34	47
13	91
35	64
9	118
33	40
41	19
2	88
34	65
9	112
38	35
25	56
49	35
23	63
8	104
6	116
8	115
32	44
20	68
21	32
42	25
21	40
46	32
18	84
27	47
7	104
36	20
40	43
8	101
58	9
7	121
5	129
18	68
14	84
44	39
53	16
26	44
5	116
35	19
10	79
7	80
4	104
29	35
37	51
41	7
24	64
16	88
23	48
5	108
5	113
52	1
22	44
3	76
11	80
4	109
16	76
47	35
3	124
38	47
22	47
4	66
4	113
13	84
26	43
2	128
15	63
33	49
39	1
25	35
5	87
6	80
20	47
24	47
3	99
24	48
25	47
18	45
5	84
0	113
0	109
28	13
17	65
23	44
20	44
17	44
15	59
6	80
1	100
12	53
0	113
9	80
41	35
2	93
7	83
23	44
8	79
16	48
16	45
30	51
15	65
13	65
36	17
37	31
14	44
22	29
38	39
26	48
25	47
21	48
72	0
1	95
27	17
13	60
31	32
27	9
10	75
39	35
20	64
52	17
14	47
22	47
17	41
15	0
28	48
18	53

Margin (mm)	Years the old record stood
57	117
66	84
44	91
48	84
49	117
29	104
28	108
46	65
79	48
50	84
25	105
30	101
26	128
45	52
34	99
21	101
70	44
70	35
69	44
27	45
22	124
27	108
18	96
33	84
18	68
37	44
54	48
16	127
50	35
60	35
33	76
55	41
17	100
34	47
12	100
16	118
15	95
27	104
25	75
61	35
51	48
27	72
20	126
13	87
10	96
72	19
19	104
50	24
26	59
8	133
60	11
59	32
28	65
59	7
90	24
80	32
71	25
44	44
16	75
50	43
67	0
40	35
48	47
31	21
36	49
12	116
94	11
58	11
19	80
17	88
47	48
27	41
32	44
35	59
46	35
9	88
34	47
13	91
35	64
9	118
33	40
41	19
2	88
34	65
9	112
38	35
25	56
49	35
23	63
8	104
6	116
8	115
32	44
20	68
21	32
42	25
21	40
46	32
18	84
27	47
7	104
36	20
40	43
8	101
58	9
7	121
5	129
18	68
14	84
44	39
53	16
26	44
5	116
35	19
10	79
7	80
4	104
29	35
37	51
41	7
24	64
16	88
23	48
5	108
5	113
52	1
22	44
3	76
11	80
4	109
16	76
47	35
3	124
38	47
22	47
4	66
4	113
13	84
26	43
2	128
15	63
33	49
39	1
25	35
5	87
6	80
20	47
24	47
3	99
24	48
25	47
18	45
5	84
0	113
0	109
28	13
17	65
23	44
20	44
17	44
15	59
6	80
1	100
12	53
0	113
9	80
41	35
2	93
7	83
23	44
8	79
16	48
16	45
30	51
15	65
13	65
36	17
37	31
14	44
22	29
38	39
26	48
25	47
21	48
72	0
1	95
27	17
13	60
31	32
27	9
10	75
39	35
20	64
52	17
14	47
22	47
17	41
15	0
28	48
18	53

Margin (mm)	Years the old record stood
57	117
66	84
44	91
48	84
49	117
29	104
28	108
46	65
79	48
50	84
25	105
30	101
26	128
45	52
34	99
21	101
70	44
70	35
69	44
27	45
22	124
27	108
18	96
33	84
18	68
37	44
54	48
16	127
50	35
60	35
33	76
55	41
17	100
34	47
12	100
16	118
15	95
27	104
25	75
61	35
51	48
27	72
20	126
13	87
10	96
72	19
19	104
50	24
26	59
8	133
60	11
59	32
28	65
59	7
90	24
80	32
71	25
44	44
16	75
50	43
67	0
40	35
48	47
31	21
36	49
12	116
94	11
58	11
19	80
17	88
47	48
27	41
32	44
35	59
46	35
9	88
34	47
13	91
35	64
9	118
33	40
41	19
2	88
34	65
9	112
38	35
25	56
49	35
23	63
8	104
6	116
8	115
32	44
20	68
21	32
42	25
21	40
46	32
18	84
27	47
7	104
36	20
40	43
8	101
58	9
7	121
5	129
18	68
14	84
44	39
53	16
26	44
5	116
35	19
10	79
7	80
4	104
29	35
37	51
41	7
24	64
16	88
23	48
5	108
5	113
52	1
22	44
3	76
11	80
4	109
16	76
47	35
3	124
38	47
22	47
4	66
4	113
13	84
26	43
2	128
15	63
33	49
39	1
25	35
5	87
6	80
20	47
24	47
3	99
24	48
25	47
18	45
5	84
0	113
0	109
28	13
17	65
23	44
20	44
17	44
15	59
6	80
1	100
12	53
0	113
9	80
41	35
2	93
7	83
23	44
8	79
16	48
16	45
30	51
15	65
13	65
36	17
37	31
14	44
22	29
38	39
26	48
25	47
21	48
72	0
1	95
27	17
13	60
31	32
27	9
10	75
39	35
20	64
52	17
14	47
22	47
17	41
15	0
28	48
18	53