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Built 2026-10-19 (19 October 2026)

Heat wave in Australia, 12 October to 3 November 2021

Heat wave in Australia, 12 October to 3 November 2021: 162 records at 63 stations, peak on 23 October 2021. Closed.

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

Key Facts

  • Heat wave in Australia, 12 October to 3 November 2021 set or tied 162 station records at 63 stations.
  • It ran from 12 October 2021 to 3 November 2021 (23 days) and its peak day was 23 October 2021.
  • Status: closed.
  • Cairns Post Office set a monthly record high minimum temperature of 26.0 C (78.8 F) on 21 October 2021.
  • The busiest day was 23 October 2021 with 23 records.
  • The oldest broken record in the ranked list had stood for 114 years.

Footprint

12 October to 3 November 2021
Footprint of Heat wave in Australia, 12 October to 3 November 2021 The area covered by Heat wave in Australia, 12 October to 3 November 2021 is outlined, with 14 of the stations that set records marked, coloured by record type.
The area covered by Heat wave in Australia, 12 October to 3 November 2021 is outlined, with 14 of the stations that set records marked, coloured by record type. Made with Natural Earth.
Footprint of Heat wave in Australia, 12 October to 3 November 2021: stations that set records in the event
StationTypeValueDate
Cairns Post OfficeRecord high minimum temperature26.0 C (78.8 F)2021-10-21
Mackay AeroRecord high maximum temperature33.7 C (92.7 F)2021-10-20
Townsville AeroRecord high minimum temperature26.1 C (79.0 F)2021-10-23
Rockhampton AeroRecord high minimum temperature23.4 C (74.1 F)2021-10-30
Cairns AeroRecord high minimum temperature25.4 C (77.7 F)2021-11-01
CoolangattaRecord high maximum temperature33.4 C (92.1 F)2021-10-24
MaryboroughRecord high maximum temperature35.5 C (95.9 F)2021-10-24
Mackay M.ORecord high maximum temperature32.7 C (90.9 F)2021-10-15
PalmervilleRecord high minimum temperature25.4 C (77.7 F)2021-10-22
Ayr Dpi Research STNRecord high maximum temperature33.9 C (93.0 F)2021-10-23
Tambo Post OfficeRecord high maximum temperature39.5 C (103.1 F)2021-10-22
Gladstone RadarRecord high minimum temperature22.8 C (73.0 F)2021-10-22
Collinsville Post OfficeRecord high maximum temperature36.8 C (98.2 F)2021-10-13
Cape Moreton LighthouseRecord high maximum temperature32.3 C (90.1 F)2021-10-24

Records per Day

Peak day 23
Records per day during Heat wave in Australia, 12 October to 3 November 2021 Records set or tied each day from 12 October 2021 to 3 November 2021. The most in one day was 23 on 23 October 2021. 0 6 13 19 25 10-1210-1510-1810-2110-2410-2810-3111-03
Records set or tied each day from 12 October 2021 to 3 November 2021. The most in one day was 23 on 23 October 2021.
Records per day during Heat wave in Australia, 12 October to 3 November 2021
DateRecords
2021-10-121
2021-10-135
2021-10-145
2021-10-1510
2021-10-164
2021-10-175
2021-10-185
2021-10-191
2021-10-207
2021-10-214
2021-10-2218
2021-10-2323
2021-10-2414
2021-10-254
2021-10-263
2021-10-2813
2021-10-2916
2021-10-3012
2021-10-314
2021-11-016
2021-11-021
2021-11-031

Top Records by Margin

Margin over the record replaced
Top records of Heat wave in Australia, 12 October to 3 November 2021 ranked by margin
Coolangatta, 10-244.8 C (8.6 F)
Maryborough, 10-242.2 C (4.0 F)
Mackay M.O, 10-152.2 C (4.0 F)
Mackay Aero, 10-202.1 C (3.8 F)
Tambo Post Office, 10-221.9 C (3.4 F)
Cairns Aero, 10-161.6 C (2.9 F)
Cairns Post Office, 10-160.9 C (1.6 F)
Townsville Aero, 10-230.9 C (1.6 F)
Cairns Aero, 10-210.9 C (1.6 F)
Cairns Aero, 11-010.8 C (1.4 F)
Cape Moreton Lighthouse, 10-240.8 C (1.4 F)
Cairns Post Office, 10-210.6 C (1.1 F)
Ayr Dpi Research STN, 10-230.6 C (1.1 F)
Gladstone Radar, 10-220.6 C (1.1 F)
Rockhampton Aero, 10-300.4 C (0.7 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, 12 October to 3 November 2021 162 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 30 60 90 120 0.01.32.53.85.0 Margin (C) Years the old record stood
162 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, 12 October to 3 November 2021
Margin (C)Years the old record stood
0.6114
0.995
2.170
0.978
0.480
0.864
0.178
4.816
0.951
0.370
2.250
0.459
2.238
0.659
1.952
0.659
1.620
0.256
0.164
0.817
0.952
3.040
0.163
1.634
0.859
0.836
2.023
0.936
0.648
0.252
0.350
0.750
0.554
1.620
0.444
0.250
0.150
0.944
0.944
0.84
0.344
1.74
0.934
3.019
2.030
0.648
1.740
1.339
1.240
1.826
0.340
1.323
0.115
1.516
1.616
0.832
1.730
0.534
0.634
1.819
0.54
0.840
0.540
0.846
1.536
0.923
0.540
0.632
0.238
1.520
1.632
0.332
0.140
0.138
0.328
0.334
0.74
0.539
3.74
0.816
0.235
0.234
0.332
1.419
0.434
0.823
0.132
1.418
1.023
0.723
0.810
0.320
0.328
0.223
0.919
0.618
1.516
0.718
0.328
0.83
0.320
0.519
2.42
1.016
0.97
0.116
1.618
1.12
0.83
2.80
1.57
0.219
1.18
1.212
1.612
0.516
0.123
0.223
0.123
0.123
0.312
0.118
0.216
0.68
0.515
0.216
1.58
0.719
1.014
0.614
0.13
0.412
1.12
0.412
0.64
0.116
1.04
0.116
0.94
0.424
0.910
0.94
0.116
0.13
0.216
1.53
0.34
0.84
0.412
1.94
0.614
0.43
0.14
0.30
0.20
0.30
0.30
0.310
0.18
0.314
0.26
1.42

Compared With Other Events

Station records per event
Station records in Heat wave in Australia, 12 October to 3 November 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, 12 October to 3 November 2021 (this event)162 records

Every Record Set

20 of 162
Every record set or tied during Heat wave in Australia, 12 October to 3 November 2021, in date order
DateStationRecordValueMarginYears stoodSignificance
2021-10-13Collinsville Post OfficeRecord high maximum temperature36.8 C (98.2 F)0.1 C (0.2 F)6425 of 100 (Routine)
2021-10-15Mackay M.ORecord high maximum temperature32.7 C (90.9 F)2.2 C (4.0 F)3828 of 100 (Routine)
2021-10-16Cairns Post OfficeRecord high maximum temperature34.2 C (93.6 F)0.9 C (1.6 F)9543 of 100 (Notable)
2021-10-16Cairns AeroRecord high maximum temperature34.2 C (93.6 F)1.6 C (2.9 F)2025 of 100 (Routine)
2021-10-17Ayr Dpi Research STNRecord high maximum temperature34.4 C (93.9 F)0.2 C (0.4 F)5625 of 100 (Routine)
2021-10-18Townsville AeroRecord high minimum temperature25.5 C (77.9 F)0.1 C (0.2 F)7831 of 100 (Routine)
2021-10-20Mackay AeroRecord high maximum temperature33.7 C (92.7 F)2.1 C (3.8 F)7038 of 100 (Notable)
2021-10-21Cairns Post OfficeRecord high minimum temperature26.0 C (78.8 F)0.6 C (1.1 F)11452 of 100 (Notable)
2021-10-21Cairns AeroRecord high maximum temperature32.6 C (90.7 F)0.9 C (1.6 F)5129 of 100 (Routine)
2021-10-22PalmervilleRecord high minimum temperature25.4 C (77.7 F)0.4 C (0.7 F)5928 of 100 (Routine)
2021-10-22Tambo Post OfficeRecord high maximum temperature39.5 C (103.1 F)1.9 C (3.4 F)5226 of 100 (Routine)
2021-10-22Gladstone RadarRecord high minimum temperature22.8 C (73.0 F)0.6 C (1.1 F)5926 of 100 (Routine)
2021-10-23Townsville AeroRecord high minimum temperature26.1 C (79.0 F)0.9 C (1.6 F)7834 of 100 (Routine)
2021-10-23Ayr Dpi Research STNRecord high maximum temperature33.9 C (93.0 F)0.6 C (1.1 F)5927 of 100 (Routine)
2021-10-24CoolangattaRecord high maximum temperature33.4 C (92.1 F)4.8 C (8.6 F)1630 of 100 (Routine)
2021-10-24Mackay AeroRecord high maximum temperature32.5 C (90.5 F)0.3 C (0.5 F)7029 of 100 (Routine)
2021-10-24MaryboroughRecord high maximum temperature35.5 C (95.9 F)2.2 C (4.0 F)5029 of 100 (Routine)
2021-10-24Cape Moreton LighthouseRecord high maximum temperature32.3 C (90.1 F)0.8 C (1.4 F)1725 of 100 (Routine)
2021-10-30Rockhampton AeroRecord high minimum temperature23.4 C (74.1 F)0.4 C (0.7 F)8033 of 100 (Routine)
2021-11-01Cairns AeroRecord high minimum temperature25.4 C (77.7 F)0.8 C (1.4 F)6431 of 100 (Routine)

The daily ledgers keep a limited number of records per day, so this list has 20 of the 162 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.