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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, 25 February to 12 March 2022

Heat wave in Australia, 25 February to 12 March 2022: 216 records at 35 stations, peak on 3 March 2022. Closed.

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

Key Facts

  • Heat wave in Australia, 25 February to 12 March 2022 set or tied 216 station records at 35 stations.
  • It ran from 25 February 2022 to 12 March 2022 (16 days) and its peak day was 3 March 2022.
  • Status: closed.
  • Cairns Post Office set a daily record high maximum temperature of 35.7 C (96.3 F) on 2 March 2022.
  • The busiest day was 3 March 2022 with 28 records.
  • The oldest broken record in the ranked list had stood for 124 years.

Footprint

25 February to 12 March 2022
Footprint of Heat wave in Australia, 25 February to 12 March 2022 The area covered by Heat wave in Australia, 25 February to 12 March 2022 is outlined, with 11 of the stations that set records marked, coloured by record type.
The area covered by Heat wave in Australia, 25 February to 12 March 2022 is outlined, with 11 of the stations that set records marked, coloured by record type. Made with Natural Earth.
Footprint of Heat wave in Australia, 25 February to 12 March 2022: stations that set records in the event
StationTypeValueDate
Cairns Post OfficeRecord high maximum temperature35.7 C (96.3 F)2022-03-02
Rockhampton AeroRecord high maximum temperature40.7 C (105.3 F)2022-03-03
Cairns AeroRecord high minimum temperature28.2 C (82.8 F)2022-02-27
Mackay AeroRecord high minimum temperature27.4 C (81.3 F)2022-03-04
Townsville AeroRecord high minimum temperature28.3 C (82.9 F)2022-03-09
Sandy Cape LighthouseRecord high minimum temperature26.6 C (79.9 F)2022-03-09
Lockhart River AirportRecord high maximum temperature35.4 C (95.7 F)2022-03-08
Mackay M.ORecord high maximum temperature34.9 C (94.8 F)2022-03-10
Ingham CompositeRecord high maximum temperature37.0 C (98.6 F)2022-03-10
Collinsville Post OfficeRecord high maximum temperature40.3 C (104.5 F)2022-03-04
Ayr Dpi Research STNRecord high minimum temperature26.4 C (79.5 F)2022-03-09

Records per Day

Peak day 28
Records per day during Heat wave in Australia, 25 February to 12 March 2022 Records set or tied each day from 25 February 2022 to 12 March 2022. The most in one day was 28 on 3 March 2022. 0 8 15 23 30 02-2502-2703-0103-0303-0503-0703-0903-12
Records set or tied each day from 25 February 2022 to 12 March 2022. The most in one day was 28 on 3 March 2022.
Records per day during Heat wave in Australia, 25 February to 12 March 2022
DateRecords
2022-02-253
2022-02-266
2022-02-279
2022-02-285
2022-03-0110
2022-03-0221
2022-03-0328
2022-03-0425
2022-03-0522
2022-03-0624
2022-03-0715
2022-03-0815
2022-03-0920
2022-03-1012
2022-03-121

Top Records by Margin

Margin over the record replaced
Top records of Heat wave in Australia, 25 February to 12 March 2022 ranked by margin
Rockhampton Aero, 03-035.9 C (10.6 F)
Collinsville Post Office, 03-044.8 C (8.6 F)
Rockhampton Aero, 03-043.6 C (6.5 F)
Mackay M.O, 03-103.1 C (5.6 F)
Ingham Composite, 03-102.8 C (5.0 F)
Cairns Aero, 02-272.6 C (4.7 F)
Cairns Post Office, 02-272.5 C (4.5 F)
Mackay Aero, 03-042.4 C (4.3 F)
Lockhart River Airport, 03-082.1 C (3.8 F)
Cairns Aero, 02-271.9 C (3.4 F)
Cairns Post Office, 02-261.8 C (3.2 F)
Townsville Aero, 03-091.6 C (2.9 F)
Cairns Aero, 02-261.6 C (2.9 F)
Cairns Post Office, 03-021.3 C (2.3 F)
Cairns Post Office, 03-040.8 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, 25 February to 12 March 2022 216 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 0.01.53.04.56.0 Margin (C) Years the old record stood
216 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, 25 February to 12 March 2022
Margin (C)Years the old record stood
1.399
0.8113
0.4124
2.572
5.935
2.636
1.972
1.866
1.667
2.463
0.658
1.666
3.640
2.155
3.127
0.765
2.848
4.816
0.665
0.864
2.836
2.245
2.148
2.320
0.14
0.20
0.434
2.527
0.528
1.540
0.726
1.352
0.226
2.528
2.94
0.426
1.139
2.017
0.616
0.327
1.339
0.756
0.360
2.227
0.844
1.643
0.852
0.252
0.939
1.239
2.411
2.036
0.458
2.127
0.626
0.640
0.640
1.327
2.69
0.214
0.852
0.640
0.848
2.517
2.028
1.420
1.627
0.326
0.255
1.841
0.532
0.840
0.352
0.734
0.50
1.24
0.70
1.424
0.835
1.524
1.536
3.020
2.824
0.336
0.40
3.215
1.140
0.438
0.214
0.148
1.033
0.527
0.14
0.242
1.724
0.924
1.132
1.31
0.524
1.412
0.628
0.440
0.339
0.733
1.71
0.80
0.20
0.30
2.620
1.127
0.339
0.828
1.74
1.90
1.112
1.015
1.227
2.815
1.027
0.528
0.234
1.612
1.37
0.10
0.10
1.54
0.727
1.44
2.615
0.827
0.527
0.233
1.512
0.912
0.224
1.44
0.50
0.12
3.50
0.327
2.215
0.727
0.427
0.717
1.04
1.023
0.42
0.318
0.819
1.54
0.68
0.127
0.84
0.528
1.59
2.80
1.712
1.017
0.94
0.419
0.120
0.218
1.67
1.75
0.212
1.615
1.24
0.84
0.27
0.61
1.04
0.57
0.224
0.815
0.217
0.81
0.83
0.312
0.512
0.216
0.94
0.99
1.27
0.57
1.84
0.320
0.223
1.24
0.812
0.212
0.212
0.58
0.74
0.712
1.44
0.39
0.112
0.66
0.112
0.28

Compared With Other Events

Station records per event
Station records in Heat wave in Australia, 25 February to 12 March 2022 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, 25 February to 12 March 2022 (this event)216 records

Every Record Set

20 of 216
Every record set or tied during Heat wave in Australia, 25 February to 12 March 2022, in date order
DateStationRecordValueMarginYears stoodSignificance
2022-02-26Cairns Post OfficeRecord high maximum temperature37.4 C (99.3 F)1.8 C (3.2 F)6637 of 100 (Notable)
2022-02-26Cairns AeroRecord high maximum temperature37.4 C (99.3 F)1.6 C (2.9 F)6635 of 100 (Notable)
2022-02-27Cairns Post OfficeRecord high maximum temperature37.2 C (99.0 F)2.5 C (4.5 F)7242 of 100 (Notable)
2022-02-27Cairns AeroRecord high minimum temperature28.2 C (82.8 F)2.6 C (4.7 F)3640 of 100 (Notable)
2022-02-27Cairns AeroRecord high maximum temperature37.2 C (99.0 F)1.9 C (3.4 F)7238 of 100 (Notable)
2022-02-28Cairns Post OfficeRecord high minimum temperature26.0 C (78.8 F)0.4 C (0.7 F)12443 of 100 (Notable)
2022-03-02Cairns Post OfficeRecord high maximum temperature35.7 C (96.3 F)1.3 C (2.3 F)9945 of 100 (Notable)
2022-03-03Rockhampton AeroRecord high maximum temperature40.7 C (105.3 F)5.9 C (10.6 F)3542 of 100 (Notable)
2022-03-03Cairns Post OfficeRecord high maximum temperature36.3 C (97.3 F)0.7 C (1.3 F)6532 of 100 (Routine)
2022-03-03Cairns AeroRecord high maximum temperature36.3 C (97.3 F)0.6 C (1.1 F)6530 of 100 (Routine)
2022-03-04Cairns Post OfficeRecord high maximum temperature36.1 C (97.0 F)0.8 C (1.4 F)11344 of 100 (Notable)
2022-03-04Mackay AeroRecord high minimum temperature27.4 C (81.3 F)2.4 C (4.3 F)6337 of 100 (Notable)
2022-03-04Rockhampton AeroRecord high maximum temperature38.3 C (100.9 F)3.6 C (6.5 F)4034 of 100 (Routine)
2022-03-04Collinsville Post OfficeRecord high maximum temperature40.3 C (104.5 F)4.8 C (8.6 F)1631 of 100 (Routine)
2022-03-08Lockhart River AirportRecord high maximum temperature35.4 C (95.7 F)2.1 C (3.8 F)5533 of 100 (Routine)
2022-03-09Townsville AeroRecord high minimum temperature28.3 C (82.9 F)1.6 C (2.9 F)6737 of 100 (Notable)
2022-03-09Sandy Cape LighthouseRecord high minimum temperature26.6 C (79.9 F)0.6 C (1.1 F)5836 of 100 (Notable)
2022-03-09Ayr Dpi Research STNRecord high minimum temperature26.4 C (79.5 F)0.8 C (1.4 F)6430 of 100 (Routine)
2022-03-10Mackay M.ORecord high maximum temperature34.9 C (94.8 F)3.1 C (5.6 F)2733 of 100 (Routine)
2022-03-10Ingham CompositeRecord high maximum temperature37.0 C (98.6 F)2.8 C (5.0 F)4832 of 100 (Routine)

The daily ledgers keep a limited number of records per day, so this list has 20 of the 216 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.