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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, 16 to 26 September 2020

Heat wave in Australia, 16 to 26 September 2020: 184 records at 120 stations, peak on 21 September 2020. Closed.

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

Key Facts

  • Heat wave in Australia, 16 to 26 September 2020 set or tied 184 station records at 120 stations.
  • It ran from 16 September 2020 to 26 September 2020 (11 days) and its peak day was 21 September 2020.
  • Status: closed.
  • Adelaide West Terrace set a daily record high minimum temperature of 18.5 C (65.3 F) on 19 September 2020.
  • The busiest day was 21 September 2020 with 40 records.
  • The oldest broken record in the ranked list had stood for 104 years.

Footprint

16 to 26 September 2020
Footprint of Heat wave in Australia, 16 to 26 September 2020 The area covered by Heat wave in Australia, 16 to 26 September 2020 is outlined, with 19 of the stations that set records marked, coloured by record type.
The area covered by Heat wave in Australia, 16 to 26 September 2020 is outlined, with 19 of the stations that set records marked, coloured by record type. Made with Natural Earth.
Footprint of Heat wave in Australia, 16 to 26 September 2020: stations that set records in the event
StationTypeValueDate
Adelaide West TerraceRecord high minimum temperature18.5 C (65.3 F)2020-09-19
Woomera AerodromeRecord high minimum temperature20.9 C (69.6 F)2020-09-18
Charleville AeroRecord high minimum temperature21.6 C (70.9 F)2020-09-21
Amberley AMORecord high minimum temperature18.1 C (64.6 F)2020-09-23
Menindee Post OfficeRecord high minimum temperature18.0 C (64.4 F)2020-09-18
Richmond RaafRecord high minimum temperature14.6 C (58.3 F)2020-09-18
AndamookaRecord high minimum temperature21.0 C (69.8 F)2020-09-18
Parramatta North (Masons DriveRecord high minimum temperature18.4 C (65.1 F)2020-09-22
Narooma RvcpRecord high minimum temperature15.5 C (59.9 F)2020-09-17
Mildura AirportRecord high minimum temperature19.3 C (66.7 F)2020-09-19
SuratRecord high minimum temperature20.1 C (68.2 F)2020-09-21
Coffs Harbour MoRecord high minimum temperature17.5 C (63.5 F)2020-09-21
Oakey AeroRecord high minimum temperature17.5 C (63.5 F)2020-09-22
Leigh Creek AirportRecord high minimum temperature20.7 C (69.3 F)2020-09-18
Neptune IslandRecord high maximum temperature20.1 C (68.2 F)2020-09-20
Lake EildonRecord high minimum temperature14.5 C (58.1 F)2020-09-20
Wagga Wagga AMORecord high maximum temperature25.8 C (78.4 F)2020-09-21
Rockhampton AeroRecord high minimum temperature20.1 C (68.2 F)2020-09-23
Gladstone RadarRecord high minimum temperature20.7 C (69.3 F)2020-09-24

Records per Day

Peak day 40
Records per day during Heat wave in Australia, 16 to 26 September 2020 Records set or tied each day from 16 September 2020 to 26 September 2020. The most in one day was 40 on 21 September 2020. 0 10 20 30 40 09-1609-1809-2009-2209-2409-26
Records set or tied each day from 16 September 2020 to 26 September 2020. The most in one day was 40 on 21 September 2020.
Records per day during Heat wave in Australia, 16 to 26 September 2020
DateRecords
2020-09-162
2020-09-1712
2020-09-1823
2020-09-1931
2020-09-2028
2020-09-2140
2020-09-2232
2020-09-239
2020-09-242
2020-09-251
2020-09-264

Top Records by Margin

Margin over the record replaced
Top records of Heat wave in Australia, 16 to 26 September 2020 ranked by margin
Parramatta North (Masons Drive, 09-224.8 C (8.6 F)
Leigh Creek Airport, 09-184.7 C (8.5 F)
Menindee Post Office, 09-184.0 C (7.2 F)
Andamooka, 09-184.0 C (7.2 F)
Mildura Airport, 09-194.0 C (7.2 F)
Lake Eildon, 09-203.4 C (6.1 F)
Woomera Aerodrome, 09-183.1 C (5.6 F)
Surat, 09-212.9 C (5.2 F)
Narooma Rvcp, 09-171.9 C (3.4 F)
Charleville Aero, 09-211.6 C (2.9 F)
Richmond Raaf, 09-181.4 C (2.5 F)
Woomera Aerodrome, 09-171.3 C (2.3 F)
Rockhampton Aero, 09-231.1 C (2.0 F)
Amberley AMO, 09-230.9 C (1.6 F)
Coffs Harbour Mo, 09-210.8 C (1.4 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, 16 to 26 September 2020 184 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
184 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, 16 to 26 September 2020
Margin (C)Years the old record stood
0.6104
3.169
0.978
1.678
4.045
1.458
4.039
4.822
0.138
2.949
0.856
1.945
4.025
4.730
0.755
0.755
3.430
1.345
1.142
0.356
1.945
1.048
1.049
0.145
2.839
4.524
1.545
4.313
1.830
0.347
3.623
4.614
2.039
3.018
3.022
0.645
2.125
0.344
3.130
0.110
2.925
2.230
3.514
0.437
1.234
2.223
0.530
2.019
0.534
2.723
1.339
0.111
1.138
0.839
0.737
0.925
1.024
2.319
0.639
0.930
1.429
0.922
2.51
0.235
0.930
0.535
0.239
0.530
4.13
0.531
1.123
0.927
0.625
2.122
0.235
1.425
2.21
1.025
1.620
0.430
0.127
2.410
1.625
1.320
0.724
2.91
0.825
1.814
3.23
1.614
1.611
1.08
2.811
1.223
0.820
0.120
2.21
0.525
0.230
0.114
1.614
0.411
1.314
1.911
1.412
0.620
0.124
0.720
2.48
1.48
0.614
2.113
0.31
0.920
1.13
1.411
1.84
2.24
0.611
1.410
0.417
0.711
0.220
0.111
0.217
0.714
0.219
1.98
1.15
0.519
0.114
0.911
0.611
0.67
1.23
0.125
0.611
0.614
1.29
1.91
0.219
1.31
1.38
0.511
0.211
0.411
0.412
0.311
2.11
0.81
0.39
0.78
1.31
0.81
0.64
0.44
0.51
0.311
0.412
0.212
1.41
1.11
1.21
0.78
0.51
1.73
0.29
0.37
0.81
0.73
0.81
0.23
0.111
0.71
0.41
0.83
0.21
0.61
0.81
0.69
0.39
1.03
0.33
0.61

Compared With Other Events

Station records per event
Station records in Heat wave in Australia, 16 to 26 September 2020 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, 16 to 26 September 2020 (this event)184 records

Every Record Set

20 of 184
Every record set or tied during Heat wave in Australia, 16 to 26 September 2020, in date order
DateStationRecordValueMarginYears stoodSignificance
2020-09-17Narooma RvcpRecord high minimum temperature15.5 C (59.9 F)1.9 C (3.4 F)4525 of 100 (Routine)
2020-09-17Woomera AerodromeRecord high minimum temperature20.1 C (68.2 F)1.3 C (2.3 F)4523 of 100 (Routine)
2020-09-18Woomera AerodromeRecord high minimum temperature20.9 C (69.6 F)3.1 C (5.6 F)6936 of 100 (Notable)
2020-09-18Menindee Post OfficeRecord high minimum temperature18.0 C (64.4 F)4.0 C (7.2 F)4530 of 100 (Routine)
2020-09-18Richmond RaafRecord high minimum temperature14.6 C (58.3 F)1.4 C (2.5 F)5829 of 100 (Routine)
2020-09-18AndamookaRecord high minimum temperature21.0 C (69.8 F)4.0 C (7.2 F)3927 of 100 (Routine)
2020-09-18Leigh Creek AirportRecord high minimum temperature20.7 C (69.3 F)4.7 C (8.5 F)3024 of 100 (Routine)
2020-09-19Adelaide West TerraceRecord high minimum temperature18.5 C (65.3 F)0.6 C (1.1 F)10442 of 100 (Notable)
2020-09-19Mildura AirportRecord high minimum temperature19.3 C (66.7 F)4.0 C (7.2 F)2525 of 100 (Routine)
2020-09-20Neptune IslandRecord high maximum temperature20.1 C (68.2 F)0.7 C (1.3 F)5524 of 100 (Routine)
2020-09-20Lake EildonRecord high minimum temperature14.5 C (58.1 F)3.4 C (6.1 F)3024 of 100 (Routine)
2020-09-21Charleville AeroRecord high minimum temperature21.6 C (70.9 F)1.6 C (2.9 F)7833 of 100 (Routine)
2020-09-21SuratRecord high minimum temperature20.1 C (68.2 F)2.9 C (5.2 F)4925 of 100 (Routine)
2020-09-21Coffs Harbour MoRecord high minimum temperature17.5 C (63.5 F)0.8 C (1.4 F)5625 of 100 (Routine)
2020-09-21Wagga Wagga AMORecord high maximum temperature25.8 C (78.4 F)0.7 C (1.3 F)5524 of 100 (Routine)
2020-09-22Parramatta North (Masons DriveRecord high minimum temperature18.4 C (65.1 F)4.8 C (8.6 F)2226 of 100 (Routine)
2020-09-22Oakey AeroRecord high minimum temperature17.5 C (63.5 F)0.1 C (0.2 F)3825 of 100 (Routine)
2020-09-23Amberley AMORecord high minimum temperature18.1 C (64.6 F)0.9 C (1.6 F)7833 of 100 (Routine)
2020-09-23Rockhampton AeroRecord high minimum temperature20.1 C (68.2 F)1.1 C (2.0 F)4223 of 100 (Routine)
2020-09-24Gladstone RadarRecord high minimum temperature20.7 C (69.3 F)0.3 C (0.5 F)5623 of 100 (Routine)

The daily ledgers keep a limited number of records per day, so this list has 20 of the 184 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.