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Data as of 2026-10-17
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Built 2026-10-19 (19 October 2026)

Heat wave in Australia, 2 to 14 January 2018

Heat wave in Australia, 2 to 14 January 2018: 227 records at 143 stations, peak on 6 January 2018. Closed.

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

Key Facts

  • Heat wave in Australia, 2 to 14 January 2018 set or tied 227 station records at 143 stations.
  • It ran from 2 January 2018 to 14 January 2018 (13 days) and its peak day was 6 January 2018.
  • Status: closed.
  • Sydney (Observatory Hill) set an all-time record high maximum temperature of 43.4 C (110.1 F) on 7 January 2018.
  • The busiest day was 6 January 2018 with 66 records.
  • The oldest broken record in the ranked list had stood for 131 years.

Footprint

2 to 14 January 2018
Footprint of Heat wave in Australia, 2 to 14 January 2018 The area covered by Heat wave in Australia, 2 to 14 January 2018 is outlined, with 20 of the stations that set records marked, coloured by record type.
The area covered by Heat wave in Australia, 2 to 14 January 2018 is outlined, with 20 of the stations that set records marked, coloured by record type. Made with Natural Earth.
Footprint of Heat wave in Australia, 2 to 14 January 2018: stations that set records in the event
StationTypeValueDate
Sydney (Observatory Hill)Record high maximum temperature43.4 C (110.1 F)2018-01-07
Hobart (Ellerslie Road)Record high maximum temperature35.8 C (96.4 F)2018-01-06
Cape Otway LighthouseRecord high maximum temperature40.5 C (104.9 F)2018-01-06
EllistonRecord high minimum temperature26.1 C (79.0 F)2018-01-06
Prospect ReservoirRecord high maximum temperature45.3 C (113.5 F)2018-01-07
Essendon AirportRecord high maximum temperature41.9 C (107.4 F)2018-01-06
Laverton RaafRecord high maximum temperature43.1 C (109.6 F)2018-01-06
Ballarat AerodromeRecord high maximum temperature39.7 C (103.5 F)2018-01-06
Sydney Airport AMORecord high maximum temperature43.7 C (110.7 F)2018-01-07
Brisbane AeroRecord high maximum temperature38.1 C (100.6 F)2018-01-14
Gulgong Post OfficeRecord high minimum temperature25.7 C (78.3 F)2018-01-08
Mount Gambier AeroRecord high minimum temperature23.0 C (73.4 F)2018-01-12
Taroom Post OfficeRecord high minimum temperature27.6 C (81.7 F)2018-01-14
Hobart AirportRecord high maximum temperature35.1 C (95.2 F)2018-01-06
Bankstown Airport AWSRecord high maximum temperature45.2 C (113.4 F)2018-01-07
Gunnedah Resource CentreRecord high minimum temperature28.0 C (82.4 F)2018-01-09
Cape Moreton LighthouseRecord high maximum temperature33.1 C (91.6 F)2018-01-14
Cobar MoRecord high minimum temperature29.8 C (85.6 F)2018-01-07
Katoomba (Murri St)Record high minimum temperature24.4 C (75.9 F)2018-01-07
Inverell Research CentreRecord high minimum temperature21.4 C (70.5 F)2018-01-10

Records per Day

Peak day 66
Records per day during Heat wave in Australia, 2 to 14 January 2018 Records set or tied each day from 2 January 2018 to 14 January 2018. The most in one day was 66 on 6 January 2018. 0 20 40 60 80 01-0201-0401-0601-0801-1001-1201-14
Records set or tied each day from 2 January 2018 to 14 January 2018. The most in one day was 66 on 6 January 2018.
Records per day during Heat wave in Australia, 2 to 14 January 2018
DateRecords
2018-01-021
2018-01-031
2018-01-041
2018-01-053
2018-01-0666
2018-01-0755
2018-01-0825
2018-01-0913
2018-01-104
2018-01-113
2018-01-1215
2018-01-1328
2018-01-1412

Top Records by Margin

Margin over the record replaced
Top records of Heat wave in Australia, 2 to 14 January 2018 ranked by margin
Bankstown Airport AWS, 01-076.9 C (12.4 F)
Laverton Raaf, 01-064.8 C (8.6 F)
Ballarat Aerodrome, 01-064.7 C (8.5 F)
Gulgong Post Office, 01-084.2 C (7.6 F)
Essendon Airport, 01-063.8 C (6.8 F)
Elliston, 01-063.7 C (6.7 F)
Hobart (Ellerslie Road), 01-063.5 C (6.3 F)
Cape Otway Lighthouse, 01-062.7 C (4.9 F)
Sydney Airport AMO, 01-072.7 C (4.9 F)
Brisbane Aero, 01-142.4 C (4.3 F)
Mount Gambier Aero, 01-122.4 C (4.3 F)
Hobart Airport, 01-062.3 C (4.1 F)
Gunnedah Resource Centre, 01-091.8 C (3.2 F)
Inverell Research Centre, 01-101.8 C (3.2 F)
Cobar Mo, 01-071.6 C (2.9 F)

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

Margin Against Age of the Broken Record

Margin against age of the broken record in Heat wave in Australia, 2 to 14 January 2018 227 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. 0 38 75 113 150 0.02.55.07.510.0 Margin (C) Years the old record stood
227 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 Heat wave in Australia, 2 to 14 January 2018
Margin (C)Years the old record stood
0.9121
3.598
2.7131
3.754
0.616
2.438
2.754
3.854
4.854
4.754
2.452
1.554
4.239
1.213
1.848
6.924
2.354
1.654
1.844
1.154
1.454
0.817
1.651
3.10
1.352
0.851
0.954
0.254
3.339
3.039
0.154
0.654
0.551
0.354
0.354
2.739
3.039
1.943
2.839
2.339
2.839
2.739
8.211
0.751
1.351
2.730
2.739
3.224
0.251
0.648
2.628
0.736
3.816
0.110
0.214
6.40
1.439
1.531
1.239
1.339
5.519
0.836
3.220
0.531
4.019
0.739
1.139
0.639
0.339
1.524
2.039
6.416
8.60
1.719
0.539
3.53
3.919
0.836
1.035
2.810
0.540
0.636
4.08
0.139
0.34
4.414
5.78
2.720
5.516
0.136
0.238
2.714
1.224
0.539
3.319
0.139
0.339
3.219
3.619
3.619
0.626
0.128
3.114
1.814
0.124
6.30
2.319
3.119
0.634
1.319
2.18
3.58
2.419
2.511
0.916
2.111
5.80
2.111
1.419
1.419
1.919
4.10
1.50
0.714
2.314
3.08
1.919
4.90
1.319
1.112
1.714
1.80
0.424
1.314
1.88
1.416
2.019
0.516
2.311
1.08
3.015
1.719
1.719
0.619
0.216
0.58
2.64
0.619
0.914
1.014
1.016
0.412
1.10
1.012
1.74
1.54
2.24
1.98
2.74
2.18
1.119
0.519
0.919
1.24
0.310
1.46
1.44
0.711
1.74
0.419
0.516
2.64
0.319
1.08
4.30
2.210
0.74
0.419
2.50
0.54
1.10
0.214
0.114
1.30
0.47
0.58
1.58
2.111
0.110
0.48
0.619
0.211
1.38
0.34
0.44
1.00
0.70
1.84
1.23
0.98

Compared With Other Events

Station records per event
Station records in Heat wave in Australia, 2 to 14 January 2018 compared with similar events
Heat wave in United States and Mexico, 16 January to 14 February 20249,869 records
Heat wave in United States, 28 January to 24 February 20266,528 records
Heat wave in United States and Mexico, 24 May to 19 June 20205,047 records
Heat wave in United States and Mexico, 26 March to 17 April 20213,669 records
Heat wave in Germany and 49 other countries, 18 December 2021 to 15 January 20223,626 records
Heat wave in Australia, 2 to 14 January 2018 (this event)227 records

Every Record Set

20 of 227
Every record set or tied during Heat wave in Australia, 2 to 14 January 2018, in date order
DateStationRecordValueMarginYears stoodSignificance
2018-01-06Hobart (Ellerslie Road)Record high maximum temperature35.8 C (96.4 F)3.5 C (6.3 F)9846 of 100 (Notable)
2018-01-06Cape Otway LighthouseRecord high maximum temperature40.5 C (104.9 F)2.7 C (4.9 F)13145 of 100 (Notable)
2018-01-06EllistonRecord high minimum temperature26.1 C (79.0 F)3.7 C (6.7 F)5431 of 100 (Routine)
2018-01-06Essendon AirportRecord high maximum temperature41.9 C (107.4 F)3.8 C (6.8 F)5430 of 100 (Routine)
2018-01-06Laverton RaafRecord high maximum temperature43.1 C (109.6 F)4.8 C (8.6 F)5430 of 100 (Routine)
2018-01-06Ballarat AerodromeRecord high maximum temperature39.7 C (103.5 F)4.7 C (8.5 F)5430 of 100 (Routine)
2018-01-06Hobart AirportRecord high maximum temperature35.1 C (95.2 F)2.3 C (4.1 F)5427 of 100 (Routine)
2018-01-07Sydney (Observatory Hill)Record high maximum temperature43.4 C (110.1 F)0.9 C (1.6 F)12162 of 100 (Major)
2018-01-07Prospect ReservoirRecord high maximum temperature45.3 C (113.5 F)0.6 C (1.1 F)1631 of 100 (Routine)
2018-01-07Sydney Airport AMORecord high maximum temperature43.7 C (110.7 F)2.7 C (4.9 F)5430 of 100 (Routine)
2018-01-07Bankstown Airport AWSRecord high maximum temperature45.2 C (113.4 F)6.9 C (12.4 F)2427 of 100 (Routine)
2018-01-07Cobar MoRecord high minimum temperature29.8 C (85.6 F)1.6 C (2.9 F)5425 of 100 (Routine)
2018-01-07Katoomba (Murri St)Record high minimum temperature24.4 C (75.9 F)1.1 C (2.0 F)5425 of 100 (Routine)
2018-01-08Gulgong Post OfficeRecord high minimum temperature25.7 C (78.3 F)4.2 C (7.6 F)3928 of 100 (Routine)
2018-01-09Gunnedah Resource CentreRecord high minimum temperature28.0 C (82.4 F)1.8 C (3.2 F)4827 of 100 (Routine)
2018-01-10Inverell Research CentreRecord high minimum temperature21.4 C (70.5 F)1.8 C (3.2 F)4425 of 100 (Routine)
2018-01-12Mount Gambier AeroRecord high minimum temperature23.0 C (73.4 F)2.4 C (4.3 F)5228 of 100 (Routine)
2018-01-14Brisbane AeroRecord high maximum temperature38.1 C (100.6 F)2.4 C (4.3 F)3830 of 100 (Routine)
2018-01-14Taroom Post OfficeRecord high minimum temperature27.6 C (81.7 F)1.5 C (2.7 F)5428 of 100 (Routine)
2018-01-14Cape Moreton LighthouseRecord high maximum temperature33.1 C (91.6 F)1.2 C (2.2 F)1327 of 100 (Routine)

The daily ledgers keep a limited number of records per day, so this list has 20 of the 227 records the event counts. The counts above use the full total.

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.