Heat wave in Australia, 7 to 18 April 2020

Name: Heat wave in Australia, 7 to 18 April 2020
Start: 2020-04-07
End: 2020-04-18
Location: Australia

Heat wave in Australia, 7 to 18 April 2020: 105 records at 40 stations, peak on 11 April 2020. Closed.

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

Key Facts

Heat wave in Australia, 7 to 18 April 2020 set or tied 105 station records at 40 stations.
It ran from 7 April 2020 to 18 April 2020 (12 days) and its peak day was 11 April 2020.
Status: closed.
Cape Leeuwin set a daily record high maximum temperature of 29.8 C (85.6 F) on 8 April 2020.
The busiest day was 11 April 2020 with 20 records.
The oldest broken record in the ranked list had stood for 110 years.

Footprint

7 to 18 April 2020

The area covered by Heat wave in Australia, 7 to 18 April 2020 is outlined, with 13 of the stations that set records marked, coloured by record type. Made with Natural Earth.

Footprint of Heat wave in Australia, 7 to 18 April 2020: stations that set records in the event
Station	Type	Value	Date
Cape Leeuwin	Record high maximum temperature	29.8 C (85.6 F)	2020-04-08
Donnybrook	Record high maximum temperature	36.4 C (97.5 F)	2020-04-11
Carnamah	Record high minimum temperature	28.5 C (83.3 F)	2020-04-09
Kellerberrin	Record high maximum temperature	36.2 C (97.2 F)	2020-04-09
Salmon Gums Res.STN.	Record high maximum temperature	38.5 C (101.3 F)	2020-04-12
Mount Barker	Record high minimum temperature	17.6 C (63.7 F)	2020-04-08
Perth Airport	Record high maximum temperature	39.6 C (103.3 F)	2020-04-11
Pearce Raaf	Record high minimum temperature	22.4 C (72.3 F)	2020-04-07
Karnet	Record high maximum temperature	36.6 C (97.9 F)	2020-04-11
Mullewa	Record high minimum temperature	22.0 C (71.6 F)	2020-04-18
Windy Harbour	Record high maximum temperature	31.5 C (88.7 F)	2020-04-07
Hyden	Record high minimum temperature	24.0 C (75.2 F)	2020-04-12
Dwellingup	Record high minimum temperature	19.5 C (67.1 F)	2020-04-08

Records per Day

Peak day 20

Records set or tied each day from 7 April 2020 to 18 April 2020. The most in one day was 20 on 11 April 2020.

Records per day during Heat wave in Australia, 7 to 18 April 2020
Date	Records
2020-04-07	12
2020-04-08	12
2020-04-09	12
2020-04-10	19
2020-04-11	20
2020-04-12	10
2020-04-13	5
2020-04-14	5
2020-04-15	1
2020-04-16	1
2020-04-17	2
2020-04-18	6

Top Records by Margin

Margin over the record replaced

Top records of Heat wave in Australia, 7 to 18 April 2020 ranked by margin
Windy Harbour, 04-07	5.8 C (10.4 F)
Salmon Gums Res.STN., 04-12	4.2 C (7.6 F)
Carnamah, 04-09	4.1 C (7.4 F)
Windy Harbour, 04-08	4.0 C (7.2 F)
Hyden, 04-13	4.0 C (7.2 F)
Cape Leeuwin, 04-08	2.5 C (4.5 F)
Hyden, 04-12	2.5 C (4.5 F)
Mullewa, 04-18	2.0 C (3.6 F)
Dwellingup, 04-08	2.0 C (3.6 F)
Perth Airport, 04-11	1.9 C (3.4 F)
Pearce Raaf, 04-07	1.8 C (3.2 F)
Karnet, 04-11	1.6 C (2.9 F)
Donnybrook, 04-11	1.5 C (2.7 F)
Mount Barker, 04-09	1.5 C (2.7 F)
Salmon Gums Res.STN., 04-12	1.2 C (2.2 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

105 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, 7 to 18 April 2020
Margin (C)	Years the old record stood
2.5	104
1.5	110
4.1	42
0.6	110
0.5	110
0.3	104
0.6	93
4.2	67
0.4	86
1.9	48
1.8	75
2.0	57
1.6	48
5.8	28
2.5	31
1.5	47
2.0	47
4.0	30
4.0	34
1.2	47
1.3	7
2.1	15
2.0	7
1.3	44
1.6	47
1.1	54
1.0	44
0.1	47
1.7	45
0.5	52
0.4	44
2.8	33
2.1	36
2.3	32
2.0	27
1.7	21
0.7	24
0.5	24
1.2	38
0.8	39
1.5	21
1.2	32
2.2	7
1.5	32
1.4	16
0.7	33
1.9	18
2.6	7
1.0	33
1.3	18
2.1	8
1.5	21
1.5	24
1.3	24
1.0	25
2.0	24
1.4	11
0.7	18
0.5	10
0.2	21
3.1	6
0.6	24
2.3	11
0.5	21
0.8	23
0.5	24
0.5	31
1.1	7
0.2	19
0.3	21
1.5	7
0.2	21
0.9	21
0.5	5
2.2	7
1.8	7
0.1	15
0.7	10
0.1	7
1.2	8
1.9	7
0.2	13
0.8	11
0.3	21
1.3	7
2.2	1
1.6	10
0.8	7
0.9	7
0.9	6
0.1	21
0.4	7
1.0	7
0.1	5
0.5	15
0.8	7
0.7	7
1.0	5
0.5	7
0.3	7
0.1	15
0.4	7
0.2	7
0.2	7
0.1	1

Compared With Other Events

Station records per event

Station records in Heat wave in Australia, 7 to 18 April 2020 compared with similar events
Heat wave in United States and Mexico, 16 January to 14 February 2024	9,869 records
Heat wave in United States, 28 January to 24 February 2026	6,528 records
Heat wave in United States and Mexico, 24 May to 19 June 2020	5,047 records
Heat wave in United States and Mexico, 26 March to 17 April 2021	3,669 records
Heat wave in Germany and 49 other countries, 18 December 2021 to 15 January 2022	3,626 records
Heat wave in Australia, 7 to 18 April 2020 (this event)	105 records

Every Record Set

20 of 105

Every record set or tied during Heat wave in Australia, 7 to 18 April 2020, in date order
Date	Station	Record	Value	Margin	Years stood	Significance
2020-04-07	Cape Leeuwin	Record high maximum temperature	31.1 C (88.0 F)	0.3 C (0.5 F)	104	41 of 100 (Notable)
2020-04-07	Pearce Raaf	Record high minimum temperature	22.4 C (72.3 F)	1.8 C (3.2 F)	75	34 of 100 (Routine)
2020-04-07	Windy Harbour	Record high maximum temperature	31.5 C (88.7 F)	5.8 C (10.4 F)	28	30 of 100 (Routine)
2020-04-08	Cape Leeuwin	Record high maximum temperature	29.8 C (85.6 F)	2.5 C (4.5 F)	104	49 of 100 (Notable)
2020-04-08	Mount Barker	Record high minimum temperature	17.6 C (63.7 F)	0.4 C (0.7 F)	86	36 of 100 (Notable)
2020-04-08	Dwellingup	Record high minimum temperature	19.5 C (67.1 F)	2.0 C (3.6 F)	47	25 of 100 (Routine)
2020-04-08	Windy Harbour	Record high maximum temperature	31.0 C (87.8 F)	4.0 C (7.2 F)	30	25 of 100 (Routine)
2020-04-09	Carnamah	Record high minimum temperature	28.5 C (83.3 F)	4.1 C (7.4 F)	42	42 of 100 (Notable)
2020-04-09	Cape Leeuwin	Record high minimum temperature	21.1 C (70.0 F)	0.5 C (0.9 F)	110	42 of 100 (Notable)
2020-04-09	Kellerberrin	Record high maximum temperature	36.2 C (97.2 F)	0.6 C (1.1 F)	93	38 of 100 (Notable)
2020-04-09	Mount Barker	Record high minimum temperature	19.8 C (67.6 F)	1.5 C (2.7 F)	47	29 of 100 (Routine)
2020-04-11	Donnybrook	Record high maximum temperature	36.4 C (97.5 F)	1.5 C (2.7 F)	110	43 of 100 (Notable)
2020-04-11	Perth Airport	Record high maximum temperature	39.6 C (103.3 F)	1.9 C (3.4 F)	48	35 of 100 (Notable)
2020-04-11	Karnet	Record high maximum temperature	36.6 C (97.9 F)	1.6 C (2.9 F)	48	32 of 100 (Routine)
2020-04-12	Cape Leeuwin	Record high minimum temperature	21.2 C (70.2 F)	0.6 C (1.1 F)	110	42 of 100 (Notable)
2020-04-12	Salmon Gums Res.STN.	Record high maximum temperature	38.5 C (101.3 F)	4.2 C (7.6 F)	67	37 of 100 (Notable)
2020-04-12	Hyden	Record high minimum temperature	24.0 C (75.2 F)	2.5 C (4.5 F)	31	30 of 100 (Routine)
2020-04-12	Salmon Gums Res.STN.	Record high minimum temperature	20.2 C (68.4 F)	1.2 C (2.2 F)	47	24 of 100 (Routine)
2020-04-13	Hyden	Record high minimum temperature	22.5 C (72.5 F)	4.0 C (7.2 F)	34	25 of 100 (Routine)
2020-04-18	Mullewa	Record high minimum temperature	22.0 C (71.6 F)	2.0 C (3.6 F)	57	32 of 100 (Routine)

The daily ledgers keep a limited number of records per day, so this list has 20 of the 105 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.

Margin (C)	Years the old record stood
2.5	104
1.5	110
4.1	42
0.6	110
0.5	110
0.3	104
0.6	93
4.2	67
0.4	86
1.9	48
1.8	75
2.0	57
1.6	48
5.8	28
2.5	31
1.5	47
2.0	47
4.0	30
4.0	34
1.2	47
1.3	7
2.1	15
2.0	7
1.3	44
1.6	47
1.1	54
1.0	44
0.1	47
1.7	45
0.5	52
0.4	44
2.8	33
2.1	36
2.3	32
2.0	27
1.7	21
0.7	24
0.5	24
1.2	38
0.8	39
1.5	21
1.2	32
2.2	7
1.5	32
1.4	16
0.7	33
1.9	18
2.6	7
1.0	33
1.3	18
2.1	8
1.5	21
1.5	24
1.3	24
1.0	25
2.0	24
1.4	11
0.7	18
0.5	10
0.2	21
3.1	6
0.6	24
2.3	11
0.5	21
0.8	23
0.5	24
0.5	31
1.1	7
0.2	19
0.3	21
1.5	7
0.2	21
0.9	21
0.5	5
2.2	7
1.8	7
0.1	15
0.7	10
0.1	7
1.2	8
1.9	7
0.2	13
0.8	11
0.3	21
1.3	7
2.2	1
1.6	10
0.8	7
0.9	7
0.9	6
0.1	21
0.4	7
1.0	7
0.1	5
0.5	15
0.8	7
0.7	7
1.0	5
0.5	7
0.3	7
0.1	15
0.4	7
0.2	7
0.2	7
0.1	1

Margin (C)	Years the old record stood
2.5	104
1.5	110
4.1	42
0.6	110
0.5	110
0.3	104
0.6	93
4.2	67
0.4	86
1.9	48
1.8	75
2.0	57
1.6	48
5.8	28
2.5	31
1.5	47
2.0	47
4.0	30
4.0	34
1.2	47
1.3	7
2.1	15
2.0	7
1.3	44
1.6	47
1.1	54
1.0	44
0.1	47
1.7	45
0.5	52
0.4	44
2.8	33
2.1	36
2.3	32
2.0	27
1.7	21
0.7	24
0.5	24
1.2	38
0.8	39
1.5	21
1.2	32
2.2	7
1.5	32
1.4	16
0.7	33
1.9	18
2.6	7
1.0	33
1.3	18
2.1	8
1.5	21
1.5	24
1.3	24
1.0	25
2.0	24
1.4	11
0.7	18
0.5	10
0.2	21
3.1	6
0.6	24
2.3	11
0.5	21
0.8	23
0.5	24
0.5	31
1.1	7
0.2	19
0.3	21
1.5	7
0.2	21
0.9	21
0.5	5
2.2	7
1.8	7
0.1	15
0.7	10
0.1	7
1.2	8
1.9	7
0.2	13
0.8	11
0.3	21
1.3	7
2.2	1
1.6	10
0.8	7
0.9	7
0.9	6
0.1	21
0.4	7
1.0	7
0.1	5
0.5	15
0.8	7
0.7	7
1.0	5
0.5	7
0.3	7
0.1	15
0.4	7
0.2	7
0.2	7
0.1	1