Extreme rain in Australia, 15 to 31 January 2020

Name: Extreme rain in Australia, 15 to 31 January 2020
Start: 2020-01-15
End: 2020-01-31
Location: Australia

Extreme rain in Australia, 15 to 31 January 2020: 932 records at 760 stations, peak on 23 January 2020. Closed.

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

Key Facts

Extreme rain in Australia, 15 to 31 January 2020 set or tied 932 station records at 760 stations.
It ran from 15 January 2020 to 31 January 2020 (17 days) and its peak day was 23 January 2020.
Status: closed.
Camooweal Township set a daily record precipitation of 141.0 mm (5.6 in) on 26 January 2020.
The busiest day was 23 January 2020 with 241 records.
The oldest broken record in the ranked list had stood for 150 years.

Footprint

15 to 31 January 2020

The area covered by Extreme rain in Australia, 15 to 31 January 2020 is outlined, with 19 of the stations that set records marked, coloured by record type. Made with Natural Earth.

Footprint of Extreme rain in Australia, 15 to 31 January 2020: stations that set records in the event
Station	Type	Value	Date
Tweed Heads Golf Club	Record daily precipitation	195.0 mm (7.7 in)	2020-01-18
Camooweal Township	Record daily precipitation	141.0 mm (5.6 in)	2020-01-26
Harwood Island (Harwood Sugar	Record daily precipitation	137.0 mm (5.4 in)	2020-01-18
Jandowae Post Office	Record daily precipitation	95.6 mm (3.8 in)	2020-01-17
Maryland	Record daily precipitation	73.2 mm (2.9 in)	2020-01-18
Kalamia Estate	Record daily precipitation	218.0 mm (8.6 in)	2020-01-28
Condamine Plains	Record daily precipitation	101.0 mm (4.0 in)	2020-01-18
Stratford	Record daily precipitation	151.6 mm (6.0 in)	2020-01-21
Belmont	Record daily precipitation	87.0 mm (3.4 in)	2020-01-28
Tallebudgera Guineas Creek Roa	Record daily precipitation	251.4 mm (9.9 in)	2020-01-18
Dunollie	Record daily precipitation	129.4 mm (5.1 in)	2020-01-18
Warrnambool Downs	Record daily precipitation	130.0 mm (5.1 in)	2020-01-27
Palen Creek Correctional	Record daily precipitation	180.0 mm (7.1 in)	2020-01-17
Lauriedale	Record daily precipitation	67.0 mm (2.6 in)	2020-01-17
Ayr Dpi Research STN	Record daily precipitation	327.8 mm (12.9 in)	2020-01-28
Miami Bardon Ave	Record daily precipitation	305.6 mm (12.0 in)	2020-01-18
Trentham (Post Office)	Record daily precipitation	43.2 mm (1.7 in)	2020-01-16
Brushgrove Post Office	Record daily precipitation	107.0 mm (4.2 in)	2020-01-18
Cloncurry McIllwraith St	Record daily precipitation	92.6 mm (3.6 in)	2020-01-29

Records per Day

Peak day 241

Records set or tied each day from 15 January 2020 to 31 January 2020. The most in one day was 241 on 23 January 2020.

Records per day during Extreme rain in Australia, 15 to 31 January 2020
Date	Records
2020-01-15	3
2020-01-16	76
2020-01-17	77
2020-01-18	169
2020-01-19	28
2020-01-20	25
2020-01-21	61
2020-01-22	19
2020-01-23	241
2020-01-24	40
2020-01-25	55
2020-01-26	43
2020-01-27	37
2020-01-28	29
2020-01-29	23
2020-01-30	5
2020-01-31	1

Top Records by Margin

Margin over the record replaced

Top records of Extreme rain in Australia, 15 to 31 January 2020 ranked by margin
Tallebudgera Guineas Creek Roa, 01-18	169.6 mm (6.7 in)
Kalamia Estate, 01-28	141.8 mm (5.6 in)
Palen Creek Correctional, 01-17	136.3 mm (5.4 in)
Tweed Heads Golf Club, 01-18	113.7 mm (4.5 in)
Camooweal Township, 01-26	110.3 mm (4.3 in)
Harwood Island (Harwood Sugar, 01-18	102.7 mm (4.0 in)
Miami Bardon Ave, 01-18	91.6 mm (3.6 in)
Warrnambool Downs, 01-27	83.8 mm (3.3 in)
Dunollie, 01-18	79.9 mm (3.1 in)
Ayr Dpi Research STN, 01-28	73.8 mm (2.9 in)
Condamine Plains, 01-18	69.2 mm (2.7 in)
Jandowae Post Office, 01-17	67.2 mm (2.6 in)
Lauriedale, 01-17	60.1 mm (2.4 in)
Belmont, 01-28	56.3 mm (2.2 in)
Cloncurry McIllwraith St, 01-29	52.5 mm (2.1 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, 15 to 31 January 2020
Margin (mm)	Years the old record stood
110	104
114	114
103	81
67	74
142	66
43	150
56	94
69	69
50	15
170	62
84	57
80	68
29	69
136	52
60	58
74	31
92	45
53	113
50	69
31	84
32	98
105	42
29	80
86	101
59	64
27	114
51	48
61	28
62	81
28	52
44	69
83	44
43	56
80	33
57	40
49	40
85	85
85	36
35	89
133	62
24	109
95	37
56	84
12	116
17	135
23	20
94	69
196	18
74	32
39	48
54	28
87	28
23	29
21	76
14	110
52	89
81	20
23	22
35	69
52	48
44	48
57	28
106	33
35	40
53	64
55	53
27	92
65	37
129	18
10	101
14	97
18	100
166	18
25	77
50	16
109	18
40	56
17	76
10	135
17	94
6	116
31	31
57	36
67	62
12	76
76	12
15	78
9	88
8	78
65	9
56	28
124	9
33	69
78	18
65	18
15	128
10	104
7	110
6	110
13	76
10	88
5	127
52	81
119	13
39	94
34	68
11	124
34	54
46	40
131	18
13	105
33	69
55	33
23	22
26	80
17	89
46	69
94	8
17	89
34	12
13	76
11	80
6	135
80	60
33	69
43	28
52	53
13	76
3	130
9	101
86	28
44	14
6	109
46	62
22	36
24	29
3	110
21	4
5	88
21	73
74	8
38	44
28	69
31	42
32	48
3	108
15	77
56	32
10	78
17	56
7	86
25	20
4	88
33	42
3	100
26	64
21	84
20	69
10	84
24	58
31	48
32	41
62	22
36	49
53	8
27	26
12	70
9	76
27	28
1	110
13	59
33	41
42	20
26	56
29	50
60	20
36	44
46	37
40	32
51	6
32	24
16	28
16	52
1	123
51	18
98	40
19	69
20	56
46	20
15	69
94	14
25	24
33	24
26	22
7	78
6	76
12	46
25	53
28	45
31	53

Compared With Other Events

Station records per event

Station records in Extreme rain in Australia, 15 to 31 January 2020 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, 15 to 31 January 2020 (this event)	932 records

Every Record Set

20 of 932

Every record set or tied during Extreme rain in Australia, 15 to 31 January 2020, in date order
Date	Station	Record	Value	Margin	Years stood	Significance
2020-01-16	Trentham (Post Office)	Record daily precipitation	43.2 mm (1.7 in)	31.3 mm (1.2 in)	84	60 of 100 (Major)
2020-01-17	Jandowae Post Office	Record daily precipitation	95.6 mm (3.8 in)	67.2 mm (2.6 in)	74	72 of 100 (Major)
2020-01-17	Palen Creek Correctional	Record daily precipitation	180.0 mm (7.1 in)	136.3 mm (5.4 in)	52	63 of 100 (Major)
2020-01-17	Lauriedale	Record daily precipitation	67.0 mm (2.6 in)	60.1 mm (2.4 in)	58	63 of 100 (Major)
2020-01-18	Tweed Heads Golf Club	Record daily precipitation	195.0 mm (7.7 in)	113.7 mm (4.5 in)	114	80 of 100 (Exceptional)
2020-01-18	Harwood Island (Harwood Sugar	Record daily precipitation	137.0 mm (5.4 in)	102.7 mm (4.0 in)	81	74 of 100 (Major)
2020-01-18	Maryland	Record daily precipitation	73.2 mm (2.9 in)	43.2 mm (1.7 in)	150	70 of 100 (Major)
2020-01-18	Condamine Plains	Record daily precipitation	101.0 mm (4.0 in)	69.2 mm (2.7 in)	69	69 of 100 (Major)
2020-01-18	Tallebudgera Guineas Creek Roa	Record daily precipitation	251.4 mm (9.9 in)	169.6 mm (6.7 in)	62	68 of 100 (Major)
2020-01-18	Dunollie	Record daily precipitation	129.4 mm (5.1 in)	79.9 mm (3.1 in)	68	67 of 100 (Major)
2020-01-18	Miami Bardon Ave	Record daily precipitation	305.6 mm (12.0 in)	91.6 mm (3.6 in)	45	61 of 100 (Major)
2020-01-18	Brushgrove Post Office	Record daily precipitation	107.0 mm (4.2 in)	50.1 mm (2.0 in)	69	60 of 100 (Major)
2020-01-21	Stratford	Record daily precipitation	151.6 mm (6.0 in)	49.6 mm (2.0 in)	15	69 of 100 (Major)
2020-01-26	Camooweal Township	Record daily precipitation	141.0 mm (5.6 in)	110.3 mm (4.3 in)	104	80 of 100 (Exceptional)
2020-01-26	Warrnambool Downs	Record daily precipitation	205.0 mm (8.1 in)	28.5 mm (1.1 in)	69	65 of 100 (Major)
2020-01-27	Warrnambool Downs	Record daily precipitation	130.0 mm (5.1 in)	83.8 mm (3.3 in)	57	67 of 100 (Major)
2020-01-28	Kalamia Estate	Record daily precipitation	218.0 mm (8.6 in)	141.8 mm (5.6 in)	66	70 of 100 (Major)
2020-01-28	Belmont	Record daily precipitation	87.0 mm (3.4 in)	56.3 mm (2.2 in)	94	69 of 100 (Major)
2020-01-28	Ayr Dpi Research STN	Record daily precipitation	327.8 mm (12.9 in)	73.8 mm (2.9 in)	31	62 of 100 (Major)
2020-01-29	Cloncurry McIllwraith St	Record daily precipitation	92.6 mm (3.6 in)	52.5 mm (2.1 in)	113	60 of 100 (Major)

The daily ledgers keep a limited number of records per day, so this list has 20 of the 932 records the event counts. The counts above use the full total.

Related Headlines

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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
110	104
114	114
103	81
67	74
142	66
43	150
56	94
69	69
50	15
170	62
84	57
80	68
29	69
136	52
60	58
74	31
92	45
53	113
50	69
31	84
32	98
105	42
29	80
86	101
59	64
27	114
51	48
61	28
62	81
28	52
44	69
83	44
43	56
80	33
57	40
49	40
85	85
85	36
35	89
133	62
24	109
95	37
56	84
12	116
17	135
23	20
94	69
196	18
74	32
39	48
54	28
87	28
23	29
21	76
14	110
52	89
81	20
23	22
35	69
52	48
44	48
57	28
106	33
35	40
53	64
55	53
27	92
65	37
129	18
10	101
14	97
18	100
166	18
25	77
50	16
109	18
40	56
17	76
10	135
17	94
6	116
31	31
57	36
67	62
12	76
76	12
15	78
9	88
8	78
65	9
56	28
124	9
33	69
78	18
65	18
15	128
10	104
7	110
6	110
13	76
10	88
5	127
52	81
119	13
39	94
34	68
11	124
34	54
46	40
131	18
13	105
33	69
55	33
23	22
26	80
17	89
46	69
94	8
17	89
34	12
13	76
11	80
6	135
80	60
33	69
43	28
52	53
13	76
3	130
9	101
86	28
44	14
6	109
46	62
22	36
24	29
3	110
21	4
5	88
21	73
74	8
38	44
28	69
31	42
32	48
3	108
15	77
56	32
10	78
17	56
7	86
25	20
4	88
33	42
3	100
26	64
21	84
20	69
10	84
24	58
31	48
32	41
62	22
36	49
53	8
27	26
12	70
9	76
27	28
1	110
13	59
33	41
42	20
26	56
29	50
60	20
36	44
46	37
40	32
51	6
32	24
16	28
16	52
1	123
51	18
98	40
19	69
20	56
46	20
15	69
94	14
25	24
33	24
26	22
7	78
6	76
12	46
25	53
28	45
31	53

Margin (mm)	Years the old record stood
110	104
114	114
103	81
67	74
142	66
43	150
56	94
69	69
50	15
170	62
84	57
80	68
29	69
136	52
60	58
74	31
92	45
53	113
50	69
31	84
32	98
105	42
29	80
86	101
59	64
27	114
51	48
61	28
62	81
28	52
44	69
83	44
43	56
80	33
57	40
49	40
85	85
85	36
35	89
133	62
24	109
95	37
56	84
12	116
17	135
23	20
94	69
196	18
74	32
39	48
54	28
87	28
23	29
21	76
14	110
52	89
81	20
23	22
35	69
52	48
44	48
57	28
106	33
35	40
53	64
55	53
27	92
65	37
129	18
10	101
14	97
18	100
166	18
25	77
50	16
109	18
40	56
17	76
10	135
17	94
6	116
31	31
57	36
67	62
12	76
76	12
15	78
9	88
8	78
65	9
56	28
124	9
33	69
78	18
65	18
15	128
10	104
7	110
6	110
13	76
10	88
5	127
52	81
119	13
39	94
34	68
11	124
34	54
46	40
131	18
13	105
33	69
55	33
23	22
26	80
17	89
46	69
94	8
17	89
34	12
13	76
11	80
6	135
80	60
33	69
43	28
52	53
13	76
3	130
9	101
86	28
44	14
6	109
46	62
22	36
24	29
3	110
21	4
5	88
21	73
74	8
38	44
28	69
31	42
32	48
3	108
15	77
56	32
10	78
17	56
7	86
25	20
4	88
33	42
3	100
26	64
21	84
20	69
10	84
24	58
31	48
32	41
62	22
36	49
53	8
27	26
12	70
9	76
27	28
1	110
13	59
33	41
42	20
26	56
29	50
60	20
36	44
46	37
40	32
51	6
32	24
16	28
16	52
1	123
51	18
98	40
19	69
20	56
46	20
15	69
94	14
25	24
33	24
26	22
7	78
6	76
12	46
25	53
28	45
31	53

Margin (mm)	Years the old record stood
110	104
114	114
103	81
67	74
142	66
43	150
56	94
69	69
50	15
170	62
84	57
80	68
29	69
136	52
60	58
74	31
92	45
53	113
50	69
31	84
32	98
105	42
29	80
86	101
59	64
27	114
51	48
61	28
62	81
28	52
44	69
83	44
43	56
80	33
57	40
49	40
85	85
85	36
35	89
133	62
24	109
95	37
56	84
12	116
17	135
23	20
94	69
196	18
74	32
39	48
54	28
87	28
23	29
21	76
14	110
52	89
81	20
23	22
35	69
52	48
44	48
57	28
106	33
35	40
53	64
55	53
27	92
65	37
129	18
10	101
14	97
18	100
166	18
25	77
50	16
109	18
40	56
17	76
10	135
17	94
6	116
31	31
57	36
67	62
12	76
76	12
15	78
9	88
8	78
65	9
56	28
124	9
33	69
78	18
65	18
15	128
10	104
7	110
6	110
13	76
10	88
5	127
52	81
119	13
39	94
34	68
11	124
34	54
46	40
131	18
13	105
33	69
55	33
23	22
26	80
17	89
46	69
94	8
17	89
34	12
13	76
11	80
6	135
80	60
33	69
43	28
52	53
13	76
3	130
9	101
86	28
44	14
6	109
46	62
22	36
24	29
3	110
21	4
5	88
21	73
74	8
38	44
28	69
31	42
32	48
3	108
15	77
56	32
10	78
17	56
7	86
25	20
4	88
33	42
3	100
26	64
21	84
20	69
10	84
24	58
31	48
32	41
62	22
36	49
53	8
27	26
12	70
9	76
27	28
1	110
13	59
33	41
42	20
26	56
29	50
60	20
36	44
46	37
40	32
51	6
32	24
16	28
16	52
1	123
51	18
98	40
19	69
20	56
46	20
15	69
94	14
25	24
33	24
26	22
7	78
6	76
12	46
25	53
28	45
31	53