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Built 2026-10-14 (14 October 2026)

Heat wave in Australia, 31 August to 4 September 2021

Heat wave in Australia, 31 August to 4 September 2021: 230 records at 125 stations, peak on 2 September 2021. Closed.

Data as of . Last revised (2026-10-12).

Key Facts

  • Heat wave in Australia, 31 August to 4 September 2021 set or tied 230 station records at 125 stations.
  • It ran from 31 August 2021 to 4 September 2021 (5 days) and its peak day was 2 September 2021.
  • Status: closed.
  • Adelaide West Terrace set a daily record high minimum temperature of 17.9 C (64.2 F) on 2 September 2021.
  • The busiest day was 2 September 2021 with 114 records.
  • The oldest broken record in the ranked list had stood for 154 years.

Footprint

31 August to 4 September 2021
Footprint of Heat wave in Australia, 31 August to 4 September 2021 The area covered by Heat wave in Australia, 31 August to 4 September 2021 is outlined, with 17 of the stations that set records marked, coloured by record type.
The area covered by Heat wave in Australia, 31 August to 4 September 2021 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, 31 August to 4 September 2021: stations that set records in the event
StationTypeValueDate
Adelaide West TerraceRecord high minimum temperature17.9 C (64.2 F)2021-09-02
Hobart (Ellerslie Road)Record high maximum temperature26.0 C (78.8 F)2021-09-02
Cape Otway LighthouseRecord high maximum temperature25.6 C (78.1 F)2021-09-02
Mildura AirportRecord high minimum temperature20.9 C (69.6 F)2021-09-03
Mount Gambier Post OfficeRecord high maximum temperature28.9 C (84.0 F)2021-09-02
Mount Gambier AeroRecord high maximum temperature28.9 C (84.0 F)2021-09-02
Maatsuyker Island LighthouseRecord high maximum temperature24.9 C (76.8 F)2021-09-02
KerangRecord high minimum temperature17.4 C (63.3 F)2021-09-03
East Sale AirportRecord high maximum temperature27.1 C (80.8 F)2021-09-02
Essendon AirportRecord high minimum temperature14.6 C (58.3 F)2021-09-02
Bombala (Therry Street)Record high minimum temperature11.5 C (52.7 F)2021-09-04
East Sale ComparisonRecord high maximum temperature27.1 C (80.8 F)2021-09-02
Parafield AirportRecord high maximum temperature31.0 C (87.8 F)2021-09-02
Hobart AirportRecord high maximum temperature24.6 C (76.3 F)2021-09-02
Ceduna AMORecord high maximum temperature33.7 C (92.7 F)2021-09-01
Portland (Cashmore Airport)Record high maximum temperature27.1 C (80.8 F)2021-09-02
WonthaggiRecord high maximum temperature26.1 C (79.0 F)2021-09-02

Records per Day

Peak day 114
Records per day during Heat wave in Australia, 31 August to 4 September 2021 Records set or tied each day from 31 August 2021 to 4 September 2021. The most in one day was 114 on 2 September 2021. 0 30 60 90 120 08-3109-0109-0209-0309-04
Records set or tied each day from 31 August 2021 to 4 September 2021. The most in one day was 114 on 2 September 2021.
Records per day during Heat wave in Australia, 31 August to 4 September 2021
DateRecords
2021-08-3116
2021-09-0135
2021-09-02114
2021-09-0358
2021-09-047

Top Records by Margin

Margin over the record replaced
Top records of Heat wave in Australia, 31 August to 4 September 2021 ranked by margin
Portland (Cashmore Airport), 09-027.3 C (13.1 F)
Mildura Airport, 09-037.0 C (12.6 F)
Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse, 09-026.4 C (11.5 F)
Bombala (Therry Street), 09-045.4 C (9.7 F)
Hobart (Ellerslie Road), 09-025.3 C (9.5 F)
Kerang, 09-035.2 C (9.4 F)
Hobart Airport, 09-024.3 C (7.7 F)
Hobart (Ellerslie Road), 09-034.2 C (7.6 F)
Wonthaggi, 09-024.1 C (7.4 F)
Adelaide West Terrace, 09-024.0 C (7.2 F)
Adelaide West Terrace, 09-023.9 C (7.0 F)
Mount Gambier Post Office, 09-023.3 C (5.9 F)
Mount Gambier Aero, 09-023.3 C (5.9 F)
East Sale Airport, 09-022.8 C (5.0 F)
East Sale Comparison, 09-022.7 C (4.9 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, 31 August to 4 September 2021 230 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 50 100 150 200 0.02.04.06.08.0 Margin (C) Years the old record stood
230 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, 31 August to 4 September 2021
Margin (C)Years the old record stood
4.0129
5.372
1.7154
7.056
3.972
3.372
3.372
5.256
6.438
5.456
2.872
2.568
2.772
1.768
4.232
1.972
4.348
2.268
7.319
4.148
2.948
0.472
6.919
5.127
6.312
6.322
7.88
2.752
5.927
4.338
6.315
3.922
4.819
1.755
2.648
4.032
0.859
3.139
1.248
3.039
1.621
3.038
0.460
3.043
4.132
0.659
0.848
2.98
4.524
1.252
1.219
3.819
5.28
1.148
4.622
0.552
3.627
0.256
2.332
3.439
0.752
0.652
1.048
4.322
3.28
1.238
3.019
4.015
2.327
0.552
4.88
0.148
1.539
3.119
0.148
2.232
4.315
3.815
3.815
1.139
3.422
0.144
0.146
0.640
3.122
1.239
4.015
3.622
2.522
4.28
0.939
0.636
0.638
3.115
3.48
0.539
1.927
4.015
0.31
1.620
3.88
0.227
1.327
3.70
2.323
0.239
0.639
0.536
2.015
0.339
2.424
3.04
1.427
1.032
1.522
2.58
3.68
1.623
2.019
0.328
0.528
3.123
2.715
0.41
4.40
1.422
0.432
3.319
2.94
1.819
1.522
0.239
1.223
1.228
0.228
2.415
3.38
0.627
2.115
4.30
2.115
3.40
1.415
2.115
2.615
1.824
1.315
2.015
0.623
2.48
0.822
0.632
2.04
0.819
2.419
2.98
0.38
1.224
1.08
1.215
2.98
0.415
0.224
0.722
2.34
1.18
0.423
1.615
0.328
0.523
0.126
0.427
1.28
0.110
0.919
0.822
0.123
0.227
0.716
0.419
0.119
2.18
0.128
0.715
0.915
0.223
1.415
1.48
1.88
0.88
0.115
0.115
0.522
0.83
1.48
0.715
0.415
0.98
0.615
0.224

Compared With Other Events

Station records per event
Station records in Heat wave in Australia, 31 August to 4 September 2021 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, 31 August to 4 September 2021 (this event)230 records

Every Record Set

20 of 230
Every record set or tied during Heat wave in Australia, 31 August to 4 September 2021, in date order
DateStationRecordValueMarginYears stoodSignificance
2021-09-01Adelaide West TerraceRecord high maximum temperature26.5 C (79.7 F)1.7 C (3.1 F)6834 of 100 (Routine)
2021-09-01Ceduna AMORecord high maximum temperature33.7 C (92.7 F)2.2 C (4.0 F)6832 of 100 (Routine)
2021-09-02Adelaide West TerraceRecord high minimum temperature17.9 C (64.2 F)4.0 C (7.2 F)12953 of 100 (Notable)
2021-09-02Hobart (Ellerslie Road)Record high maximum temperature26.0 C (78.8 F)5.3 C (9.5 F)7247 of 100 (Notable)
2021-09-02Cape Otway LighthouseRecord high maximum temperature25.6 C (78.1 F)1.7 C (3.1 F)15445 of 100 (Notable)
2021-09-02Adelaide West TerraceRecord high maximum temperature31.2 C (88.2 F)3.9 C (7.0 F)7240 of 100 (Notable)
2021-09-02Mount Gambier Post OfficeRecord high maximum temperature28.9 C (84.0 F)3.3 C (5.9 F)7240 of 100 (Notable)
2021-09-02Mount Gambier AeroRecord high maximum temperature28.9 C (84.0 F)3.3 C (5.9 F)7239 of 100 (Notable)
2021-09-02Maatsuyker Island LighthouseRecord high maximum temperature24.9 C (76.8 F)6.4 C (11.5 F)3839 of 100 (Notable)
2021-09-02East Sale AirportRecord high maximum temperature27.1 C (80.8 F)2.8 C (5.0 F)7236 of 100 (Notable)
2021-09-02Essendon AirportRecord high minimum temperature14.6 C (58.3 F)2.5 C (4.5 F)6836 of 100 (Notable)
2021-09-02East Sale ComparisonRecord high maximum temperature27.1 C (80.8 F)2.7 C (4.9 F)7235 of 100 (Notable)
2021-09-02Parafield AirportRecord high maximum temperature31.0 C (87.8 F)1.9 C (3.4 F)7233 of 100 (Routine)
2021-09-02Hobart AirportRecord high maximum temperature24.6 C (76.3 F)4.3 C (7.7 F)4833 of 100 (Routine)
2021-09-02Portland (Cashmore Airport)Record high maximum temperature27.1 C (80.8 F)7.3 C (13.1 F)1932 of 100 (Routine)
2021-09-02WonthaggiRecord high maximum temperature26.1 C (79.0 F)4.1 C (7.4 F)4831 of 100 (Routine)
2021-09-03Mildura AirportRecord high minimum temperature20.9 C (69.6 F)7.0 C (12.6 F)5644 of 100 (Notable)
2021-09-03KerangRecord high minimum temperature17.4 C (63.3 F)5.2 C (9.4 F)5639 of 100 (Notable)
2021-09-03Hobart (Ellerslie Road)Record high minimum temperature15.3 C (59.5 F)4.2 C (7.6 F)3234 of 100 (Routine)
2021-09-04Bombala (Therry Street)Record high minimum temperature11.5 C (52.7 F)5.4 C (9.7 F)5636 of 100 (Notable)

The daily ledgers keep a limited number of records per day, so this list has 20 of the 230 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 2026-10-12. Events are found by this site from station records and are not official designations. Records are provisional until reprocessed.