Weather Records on 21 January 1938

250 weather records were set or tied worldwide on 21 January 1938. Highest significance: Taree (Radio Station 2Re), AU.

Key Facts for 21 January 1938

On 21 January 1938, 250 weather records were set or tied at long-record stations worldwide.
81 were record highs and 7 were record lows, counting maximum and minimum temperature.
By timescale, 0 were all-time records, 8 monthly and 242 daily.
Taree (Radio Station 2Re) set a daily record precipitation of 171.5 mm (6.8 in) on 21 January 1938.
Across 163 earlier years (1793 to 2026) the same calendar date averaged 468 records.

Record Map

250 stations

250 station records on 21 January 1938 are marked on the map, coloured by record type. Dot size shows the significance score. Made with Natural Earth.

Weather records on 21 January 1938: highest significance records shown on the map
Station	Country	Type	Value	Significance
Taree (Radio Station 2Re)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	171.5 mm (6.8 in)	57 of 100 (Notable)
Syfergat (Sar)	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	77.2 mm (3.0 in)	57 of 100 (Notable)
Wingham (Lanark Close)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	146.8 mm (5.8 in)	48 of 100 (Notable)
Forster - Tuncurry R.V.C.P.	Australia	Record daily precipitation	97.3 mm (3.8 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Krambach (Bellevue)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	71.4 mm (2.8 in)	44 of 100 (Notable)
Bulahdelah Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	66.0 mm (2.6 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)
Middlesboro Fire Dept	United States	Record daily precipitation	58.4 mm (2.3 in)	38 of 100 (Notable)
Stewarts River Public School	Australia	Record daily precipitation	104.4 mm (4.1 in)	36 of 100 (Notable)
Armidale (Radio Station 2Ad)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	53.1 mm (2.1 in)	35 of 100 (Notable)
Peddie (Mag)	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	34.3 mm (1.4 in)	35 of 100 (Notable)
Cloudcroft	United States	Record daily snowfall	38.1 cm (15.0 in)	35 of 100 (Notable)
Ashwood	United States	Record daily precipitation	64.8 mm (2.6 in)	34 of 100 (Routine)
Boorolong	Australia	Record daily precipitation	39.6 mm (1.6 in)	31 of 100 (Routine)
Durant	United States	Record daily precipitation	69.6 mm (2.7 in)	31 of 100 (Routine)
Lewisburg Exp STN	United States	Record daily precipitation	58.4 mm (2.3 in)	31 of 100 (Routine)
Sapphire (Argyle)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	48.5 mm (1.9 in)	30 of 100 (Routine)
Wandsworth (Strabanne)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	48.3 mm (1.9 in)	30 of 100 (Routine)
Cullendale	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	29.7 mm (1.2 in)	29 of 100 (Routine)
Huxley	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	30.2 mm (1.2 in)	29 of 100 (Routine)
Lynnville 4 SSW	United States	Record daily precipitation	57.2 mm (2.3 in)	29 of 100 (Routine)
Texarkana Webb Fld	United States	Record daily precipitation	134.6 mm (5.3 in)	29 of 100 (Routine)
Gloucester Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	55.9 mm (2.2 in)	28 of 100 (Routine)
Balfour (Pol)	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	28.4 mm (1.1 in)	27 of 100 (Routine)
Glen Innes Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	55.9 mm (2.2 in)	26 of 100 (Routine)
Howell	Australia	Record daily precipitation	61.0 mm (2.4 in)	26 of 100 (Routine)
Dohne (Sar)	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	36.1 mm (1.4 in)	26 of 100 (Routine)
Kentani (Bos)	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	47.0 mm (1.9 in)	26 of 100 (Routine)
Comboyne Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	73.4 mm (2.9 in)	25 of 100 (Routine)
Moorland (Denro-An)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	63.5 mm (2.5 in)	25 of 100 (Routine)
Schoonoord	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	42.7 mm (1.7 in)	25 of 100 (Routine)
Ballina (Crowley Village)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	91.2 mm (3.6 in)	24 of 100 (Routine)
Fort Fordyce (Bos)	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	66.0 mm (2.6 in)	24 of 100 (Routine)
Steynsburg	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	35.1 mm (1.4 in)	24 of 100 (Routine)
Denison Hwy 60 Brg	United States	Record daily precipitation	50.8 mm (2.0 in)	24 of 100 (Routine)
Gragin	Australia	Record daily precipitation	45.5 mm (1.8 in)	23 of 100 (Routine)
Dungog Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	34.3 mm (1.4 in)	23 of 100 (Routine)
Launceston (Pumping Station)	Australia	Record low maximum temperature	13.9 C (57.0 F)	23 of 100 (Routine)
Fort Cunynghame (Bos)	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	27.2 mm (1.1 in)	23 of 100 (Routine)
Inverell Comparison	Australia	Record daily precipitation	47.8 mm (1.9 in)	22 of 100 (Routine)
Katberg (Bos)	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	46.5 mm (1.8 in)	22 of 100 (Routine)
Engcobo (Tnk)	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	38.1 mm (1.5 in)	22 of 100 (Routine)
Seal Rocks Camping Reserve	Australia	Record daily precipitation	54.1 mm (2.1 in)	21 of 100 (Routine)
Tbilisi	Georgia	Record high minimum temperature	3.0 C (37.4 F)	21 of 100 (Routine)
Komga (Pol)	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	30.2 mm (1.2 in)	21 of 100 (Routine)
Haparanda	Sweden	Record daily precipitation	21.5 mm (0.8 in)	20 of 100 (Routine)
San Jon	United States	Record daily precipitation	11.9 mm (0.5 in)	20 of 100 (Routine)
Leeuwarden_1	Netherlands	Record daily precipitation	20.0 mm (0.8 in)	20 of 100 (Routine)
Pearston (Pol)	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	14.2 mm (0.6 in)	20 of 100 (Routine)
Trenton 2	United States	Record daily snowfall	1.8 cm (0.7 in)	20 of 100 (Routine)
Umea	Sweden	Record daily precipitation	13.1 mm (0.5 in)	20 of 100 (Routine)
Freehold-Marlboro	United States	Record daily snowfall	1.5 cm (0.6 in)	20 of 100 (Routine)
Cradock	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	6.4 mm (0.25 in)	20 of 100 (Routine)
Orogrande	United States	Record daily precipitation	12.7 mm (0.5 in)	20 of 100 (Routine)
Wellwood	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	10.9 mm (0.4 in)	20 of 100 (Routine)
Randwick Bowling Club	Australia	Record daily precipitation	13.7 mm (0.5 in)	20 of 100 (Routine)
Klipplaat (Sar)	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	8.1 mm (0.32 in)	20 of 100 (Routine)
Roswell Muni AP	United States	Record daily precipitation	14.7 mm (0.6 in)	20 of 100 (Routine)
Alexandria (Pol)	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	24.1 mm (0.9 in)	20 of 100 (Routine)
Jansenville	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	11.4 mm (0.4 in)	20 of 100 (Routine)
Walsingham 1	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	17.5 mm (0.7 in)	20 of 100 (Routine)

Counts by Type and Timescale

250 records

Records set or tied on 21 January 1938 by type: Highest daily maximum 32, Lowest daily maximum 5, Highest daily minimum 49, Lowest daily minimum 2, Heaviest daily rainfall 151, Heaviest daily snowfall 9, Deepest snow cover 2.

Records on 21 January 1938 by type
Record type	Records
Highest daily maximum	32
Lowest daily maximum	5
Highest daily minimum	49
Lowest daily minimum	2
Heaviest daily rainfall	151
Heaviest daily snowfall	9
Deepest snow cover	2

Records on 21 January 1938 by timescale: all-time 0, monthly 8, daily 242.

How Much Records Were Beaten By

208 broken records

Margins by which the 208 broken records beat the old ones, in degrees Celsius for temperature and millimetres for precipitation and snow; the largest margin was 203.0. Ties are not counted.

Top 20 by Significance

21 January 1938

Top 20 records on 21 January 1938 by significance
Date	Station	Record	Value	Beat old record by	Old record stood	Significance
21 January 1938	Taree (Radio Station 2Re), AU	daily rain	171.5 mm (6.8 in)	110.5 mm (4.4 in)	42 years	57 of 100 (Notable)
21 January 1938	Syfergat (Sar), ZA	monthly rain	77.2 mm (3.0 in)	29.2 mm (1.1 in)	46 years	57 of 100 (Notable)
21 January 1938	Wingham (Lanark Close), AU	daily rain	146.8 mm (5.8 in)	116.3 mm (4.6 in)	10 years	48 of 100 (Notable)
21 January 1938	Forster - Tuncurry R.V.C.P., AU	daily rain	97.3 mm (3.8 in)	85.1 mm (3.4 in)	4 years	45 of 100 (Notable)
21 January 1938	Krambach (Bellevue), AU	daily rain	71.4 mm (2.8 in)	53.6 mm (2.1 in)	4 years	44 of 100 (Notable)
21 January 1938	Bulahdelah Post Office, AU	daily rain	66.0 mm (2.6 in)	48.0 mm (1.9 in)	22 years	41 of 100 (Notable)
21 January 1938	Middlesboro Fire Dept, US	daily rain	58.4 mm (2.3 in)	34.3 mm (1.4 in)	18 years	38 of 100 (Notable)
21 January 1938	Stewarts River Public School, AU	daily rain	104.4 mm (4.1 in)	67.8 mm (2.7 in)	10 years	36 of 100 (Notable)
21 January 1938	Armidale (Radio Station 2Ad), AU	daily rain	53.1 mm (2.1 in)	16.0 mm (0.6 in)	50 years	35 of 100 (Notable)
21 January 1938	Peddie (Mag), ZA	daily rain	34.3 mm (1.4 in)	13.2 mm (0.5 in)	44 years	35 of 100 (Notable)
21 January 1938	Cloudcroft, US	daily snowfall	38.1 cm (15.0 in)	20.3 cm (8.0 in)	34 years	35 of 100 (Notable)
21 January 1938	Ashwood, US	daily rain	64.8 mm (2.6 in)	33.0 mm (1.3 in)	12 years	34 of 100 (Routine)
21 January 1938	Boorolong, AU	daily rain	39.6 mm (1.6 in)	16.0 mm (0.6 in)	37 years	31 of 100 (Routine)
21 January 1938	Durant, US	daily rain	69.6 mm (2.7 in)	23.9 mm (0.9 in)	34 years	31 of 100 (Routine)
21 January 1938	Lewisburg Exp STN, US	daily rain	58.4 mm (2.3 in)	28.7 mm (1.1 in)	12 years	31 of 100 (Routine)
21 January 1938	Sapphire (Argyle), AU	daily rain	48.5 mm (1.9 in)	28.4 mm (1.1 in)	28 years	30 of 100 (Routine)
21 January 1938	Wandsworth (Strabanne), AU	daily rain	48.3 mm (1.9 in)	23.2 mm (0.9 in)	28 years	30 of 100 (Routine)
21 January 1938	Cullendale, ZA	daily rain	29.7 mm (1.2 in)	9.6 mm (0.38 in)	46 years	29 of 100 (Routine)
21 January 1938	Huxley, ZA	daily rain	30.2 mm (1.2 in)	20.0 mm (0.8 in)	11 years	29 of 100 (Routine)
21 January 1938	Lynnville 4 SSW, US	daily rain	57.2 mm (2.3 in)	28.5 mm (1.1 in)	12 years	29 of 100 (Routine)

Significance is a score from 0 to 100 combining margin, the age of the old record and the length of the station's record. How it is computed.

The Same Date in Other Years

1793 to 1938

Records set or tied on this calendar date in each year from 1793 to 1938. 1938 had 250 records.

Counts for years before the ledger starts come from the same station rules.

Records on 01-21 in each year
Year	Records
1793	1
1795	2
1796	1
1798	1
1800	2
1803	1
1804	2
1829	1
1838	3
1840	2
1845	2
1846	1
1850	2
1864	2
1866	4
1867	1
1869	1
1871	1
1873	2
1876	1
1878	4
1880	3
1881	4
1884	1
1885	1
1886	1
1888	3
1890	2
1891	3
1892	2
1893	1
1894	3
1895	2
1896	2
1897	3
1898	3
1899	15
1900	5
1901	4
1902	8
1903	18
1904	30
1905	3
1906	53
1907	10
1908	11
1909	25
1910	11
1911	8
1912	7
1913	23
1914	37
1915	47
1916	38
1917	83
1918	49
1919	14
1920	75
1921	54
1922	35
1923	62
1924	535
1925	103
1926	157
1927	447
1928	206
1929	132
1930	616
1931	112
1932	167
1933	572
1934	255
1935	771
1936	314
1937	852
1938	250
1939	305
1940	562
1941	205
1942	522
1943	1,168
1944	324
1945	290
1946	339
1947	205
1948	387
1949	452
1950	643
1951	367
1952	436
1953	325
1954	1,094
1955	399
1956	653
1957	527
1958	506
1959	936
1960	319
1961	746
1962	741
1963	761
1964	771
1965	251
1966	636
1967	511
1968	1,179
1969	927
1970	1,770
1971	672
1972	598
1973	573
1974	992
1975	496
1976	860
1977	549
1978	1,301
1979	1,675
1980	425
1981	972
1982	1,339
1983	1,179
1984	2,132
1985	2,457
1986	883
1987	934
1988	771
1989	511
1990	927
1991	559
1992	447
1993	1,763
1994	1,195
1995	1,276
1996	528
1997	950
1998	606
1999	1,387
2000	686
2001	736
2002	796
2003	690
2004	535
2005	1,111
2006	1,116
2007	1,955
2008	1,061
2009	788
2010	1,166
2011	836
2012	1,148
2013	455
2014	522
2015	426
2016	580
2017	1,248
2018	664
2019	526
2020	894
2021	626
2022	430
2023	517
2024	1,015
2025	1,386
2026	201

Download the Data

Data for records on 1938-01-21: CSV or JSON. Field meanings are on the data page.

Sources: 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)) Made with Natural Earth. Public domain map data. Borders are Natural Earth's de facto depiction. Data as of 2026-10-14 (14 October 2026). Records are computed by this site and are not official.

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

Margin	Records
0 to 50	201
50 to 100	3
100 to 150	3
150 to 200	0
200 to 250	1