Daily records
Page built 2026-10-19
Data as of 2026-10-17
Search
Built 2026-10-19 (19 October 2026)

Heat wave in Australia, 5 to 17 December 2018

Heat wave in Australia, 5 to 17 December 2018: 192 records at 99 stations, peak on 7 December 2018. Closed.

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

Key Facts

  • Heat wave in Australia, 5 to 17 December 2018 set or tied 192 station records at 99 stations.
  • It ran from 5 December 2018 to 17 December 2018 (13 days) and its peak day was 7 December 2018.
  • Status: closed.
  • Cape Otway Lighthouse set a daily record high maximum temperature of 38.4 C (101.1 F) on 7 December 2018.
  • The busiest day was 7 December 2018 with 73 records.
  • The oldest broken record in the ranked list had stood for 145 years.

Footprint

5 to 17 December 2018
Footprint of Heat wave in Australia, 5 to 17 December 2018 The area covered by Heat wave in Australia, 5 to 17 December 2018 is outlined, with 17 of the stations that set records marked, coloured by record type.
The area covered by Heat wave in Australia, 5 to 17 December 2018 is outlined, with 17 of the stations that set records marked, coloured by record type. Made with Natural Earth.
Footprint of Heat wave in Australia, 5 to 17 December 2018: stations that set records in the event
StationTypeValueDate
Cape Otway LighthouseRecord high maximum temperature38.4 C (101.1 F)2018-12-07
East Sale ComparisonRecord high maximum temperature37.9 C (100.2 F)2018-12-07
Essendon AirportRecord high maximum temperature37.8 C (100.0 F)2018-12-07
Wynyard AirportRecord high maximum temperature28.2 C (82.8 F)2018-12-08
Mildura AirportRecord high minimum temperature27.2 C (81.0 F)2018-12-08
Mount WellingtonRecord high minimum temperature15.4 C (59.7 F)2018-12-07
Ceduna AMORecord high maximum temperature43.3 C (109.9 F)2018-12-06
Gunnedah Resource CentreRecord high minimum temperature22.6 C (72.7 F)2018-12-11
LongerenongRecord high maximum temperature41.4 C (106.5 F)2018-12-07
Laverton RaafRecord high maximum temperature39.2 C (102.6 F)2018-12-07
ArkaroolaRecord high minimum temperature29.3 C (84.7 F)2018-12-07
East Sale AirportRecord high minimum temperature22.6 C (72.7 F)2018-12-08
Bushy Park (Bushy Park EstatesRecord high minimum temperature18.0 C (64.4 F)2018-12-16
Launceston AirportRecord high maximum temperature30.8 C (87.4 F)2018-12-07
Warracknabeal MuseumRecord high maximum temperature41.0 C (105.8 F)2018-12-07
Kyabram DpiRecord high maximum temperature39.4 C (102.9 F)2018-12-07
Wilsons Promontory LighthouseRecord high minimum temperature20.0 C (68.0 F)2018-12-08

Records per Day

Peak day 73
Records per day during Heat wave in Australia, 5 to 17 December 2018 Records set or tied each day from 5 December 2018 to 17 December 2018. The most in one day was 73 on 7 December 2018. 0 20 40 60 80 12-0512-0712-0912-1112-1312-1512-17
Records set or tied each day from 5 December 2018 to 17 December 2018. The most in one day was 73 on 7 December 2018.
Records per day during Heat wave in Australia, 5 to 17 December 2018
DateRecords
2018-12-051
2018-12-0617
2018-12-0773
2018-12-0854
2018-12-0914
2018-12-104
2018-12-115
2018-12-123
2018-12-137
2018-12-141
2018-12-159
2018-12-163
2018-12-171

Top Records by Margin

Margin over the record replaced
Top records of Heat wave in Australia, 5 to 17 December 2018 ranked by margin
Mount Wellington, 12-078.6 C (15.5 F)
East Sale Comparison, 12-078.5 C (15.3 F)
Essendon Airport, 12-076.4 C (11.5 F)
Longerenong, 12-076.4 C (11.5 F)
Cape Otway Lighthouse, 12-075.6 C (10.1 F)
Essendon Airport, 12-075.6 C (10.1 F)
Mount Wellington, 12-065.2 C (9.4 F)
Laverton Raaf, 12-075.1 C (9.2 F)
Arkaroola, 12-074.7 C (8.5 F)
Wynyard Airport, 12-084.2 C (7.6 F)
Launceston Airport, 12-074.2 C (7.6 F)
Warracknabeal Museum, 12-073.3 C (5.9 F)
Kyabram Dpi, 12-073.2 C (5.8 F)
Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse, 12-083.2 C (5.8 F)
Bushy Park (Bushy Park Estates, 12-163.0 C (5.4 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, 5 to 17 December 2018 192 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
192 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, 5 to 17 December 2018
Margin (C)Years the old record stood
5.6145
8.563
6.463
4.252
2.867
8.619
1.468
0.969
6.443
5.68
5.139
4.736
1.217
3.031
0.343
4.219
5.228
3.339
3.239
3.28
0.744
3.639
3.839
2.043
0.948
2.443
2.520
2.739
2.332
2.232
3.624
0.745
2.043
1.939
1.939
2.339
2.528
3.024
1.429
0.644
3.628
3.324
0.143
1.839
2.428
2.628
3.028
4.53
0.637
3.519
2.628
0.50
0.245
4.28
6.119
0.444
2.424
1.037
3.719
3.43
2.63
0.236
0.443
2.720
1.043
4.83
3.120
1.339
0.932
3.128
1.229
1.819
3.419
0.532
0.827
1.232
2.819
4.03
2.719
4.03
0.239
3.219
0.728
2.728
1.728
1.924
2.612
0.920
0.831
0.424
2.020
2.524
3.73
1.224
0.732
1.431
1.324
0.611
0.78
3.74
0.129
4.13
1.828
0.324
4.23
1.819
1.65
0.424
2.08
1.419
0.228
2.88
0.429
0.128
0.231
1.55
1.219
3.019
2.34
1.612
3.03
1.324
0.124
1.28
1.319
3.95
0.819
0.427
0.719
0.625
0.427
1.019
2.13
3.83
0.220
1.88
0.619
0.219
0.424
0.420
1.513
0.58
2.33
1.95
0.624
0.313
0.217
2.212
1.611
0.524
2.43
3.23
1.39
0.313
1.312
0.320
0.720
1.219
0.78
0.917
1.58
2.73
3.63
0.112
0.912
0.65
1.43
1.15
1.15
2.93
1.93
2.15
1.13
1.04
0.58
0.68
0.28
0.43
0.23
0.73
0.25
0.63
0.48
1.13
0.54
0.50
0.25
0.13
1.23
0.63
0.25
0.13

Compared With Other Events

Station records per event
Station records in Heat wave in Australia, 5 to 17 December 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, 5 to 17 December 2018 (this event)192 records

Every Record Set

20 of 192
Every record set or tied during Heat wave in Australia, 5 to 17 December 2018, in date order
DateStationRecordValueMarginYears stoodSignificance
2018-12-06Ceduna AMORecord high maximum temperature43.3 C (109.9 F)1.4 C (2.5 F)6830 of 100 (Routine)
2018-12-06Mount WellingtonRecord high maximum temperature22.6 C (72.7 F)5.2 C (9.4 F)2823 of 100 (Routine)
2018-12-07Cape Otway LighthouseRecord high maximum temperature38.4 C (101.1 F)5.6 C (10.1 F)14552 of 100 (Notable)
2018-12-07East Sale ComparisonRecord high maximum temperature37.9 C (100.2 F)8.5 C (15.3 F)6342 of 100 (Notable)
2018-12-07Essendon AirportRecord high maximum temperature37.8 C (100.0 F)6.4 C (11.5 F)6336 of 100 (Notable)
2018-12-07Mount WellingtonRecord high minimum temperature15.4 C (59.7 F)8.6 C (15.5 F)1932 of 100 (Routine)
2018-12-07LongerenongRecord high maximum temperature41.4 C (106.5 F)6.4 C (11.5 F)4328 of 100 (Routine)
2018-12-07Essendon AirportRecord high minimum temperature25.0 C (77.0 F)5.6 C (10.1 F)826 of 100 (Routine)
2018-12-07Laverton RaafRecord high maximum temperature39.2 C (102.6 F)5.1 C (9.2 F)3926 of 100 (Routine)
2018-12-07ArkaroolaRecord high minimum temperature29.3 C (84.7 F)4.7 C (8.5 F)3625 of 100 (Routine)
2018-12-07Cape Otway LighthouseRecord high minimum temperature18.1 C (64.6 F)0.3 C (0.5 F)4323 of 100 (Routine)
2018-12-07Launceston AirportRecord high maximum temperature30.8 C (87.4 F)4.2 C (7.6 F)1923 of 100 (Routine)
2018-12-07Warracknabeal MuseumRecord high maximum temperature41.0 C (105.8 F)3.3 C (5.9 F)3922 of 100 (Routine)
2018-12-07Kyabram DpiRecord high maximum temperature39.4 C (102.9 F)3.2 C (5.8 F)3922 of 100 (Routine)
2018-12-08Wynyard AirportRecord high maximum temperature28.2 C (82.8 F)4.2 C (7.6 F)5236 of 100 (Notable)
2018-12-08Mildura AirportRecord high minimum temperature27.2 C (81.0 F)2.8 C (5.0 F)6733 of 100 (Routine)
2018-12-08East Sale AirportRecord high minimum temperature22.6 C (72.7 F)1.2 C (2.2 F)1725 of 100 (Routine)
2018-12-08Wilsons Promontory LighthouseRecord high minimum temperature20.0 C (68.0 F)3.2 C (5.8 F)822 of 100 (Routine)
2018-12-11Gunnedah Resource CentreRecord high minimum temperature22.6 C (72.7 F)0.9 C (1.6 F)6929 of 100 (Routine)
2018-12-16Bushy Park (Bushy Park EstatesRecord high minimum temperature18.0 C (64.4 F)3.0 C (5.4 F)3124 of 100 (Routine)

The daily ledgers keep a limited number of records per day, so this list has 20 of the 192 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.