Weather Records on 21 December 1956

672 weather records were set or tied worldwide on 21 December 1956. Highest significance: Burketown Post Office, AU.

Key Facts for 21 December 1956

On 21 December 1956, 672 weather records were set or tied at long-record stations worldwide.
320 were record highs and 31 were record lows, counting maximum and minimum temperature.
By timescale, 1 were all-time records, 20 monthly and 651 daily.
Burketown Post Office set a monthly record daily precipitation of 293.9 mm (11.6 in) on 21 December 1956.
Across 158 earlier years (1793 to 2025) the same calendar date averaged 488 records.

Record Map

672 stations

672 station records on 21 December 1956 are marked on the map, coloured by record type. Dot size shows the significance score. Made with Natural Earth.

Weather records on 21 December 1956: highest significance records shown on the map
Station	Country	Type	Value	Significance
Burketown Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	293.9 mm (11.6 in)	69 of 100 (Major)
Stanwell Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	95.3 mm (3.8 in)	61 of 100 (Major)
Chinchilla Water Treatment Pla	Australia	Record daily precipitation	82.0 mm (3.2 in)	60 of 100 (Major)
Winton Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	96.3 mm (3.8 in)	56 of 100 (Notable)
Mtunzini	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	116.0 mm (4.6 in)	54 of 100 (Notable)
Moselle Downs Station	Australia	Record daily precipitation	62.2 mm (2.4 in)	53 of 100 (Notable)
Giligulgul	Australia	Record daily precipitation	115.1 mm (4.5 in)	52 of 100 (Notable)
Taroom Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	74.7 mm (2.9 in)	52 of 100 (Notable)
Schoonoord	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	120.0 mm (4.7 in)	52 of 100 (Notable)
Wowan Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	98.8 mm (3.9 in)	51 of 100 (Notable)
Mayne Junction	Australia	Record daily precipitation	169.4 mm (6.7 in)	51 of 100 (Notable)
Gatcombe Head	Australia	Record daily precipitation	123.2 mm (4.9 in)	50 of 100 (Notable)
Pacific Salt	Australia	Record daily precipitation	108.0 mm (4.3 in)	50 of 100 (Notable)
Diddillibah	Australia	Record daily precipitation	164.6 mm (6.5 in)	50 of 100 (Notable)
Bauhinia Downs Store	Australia	Record daily precipitation	70.6 mm (2.8 in)	49 of 100 (Notable)
Beaconsfield	Australia	Record daily precipitation	94.5 mm (3.7 in)	49 of 100 (Notable)
Duaringa Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	97.3 mm (3.8 in)	48 of 100 (Notable)
Kabra Railway STN	Australia	Record daily precipitation	65.5 mm (2.6 in)	48 of 100 (Notable)
Barfield	Australia	Record daily precipitation	66.0 mm (2.6 in)	48 of 100 (Notable)
Brynawe, Paddock	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	124.0 mm (4.9 in)	48 of 100 (Notable)
Coorada	Australia	Record daily precipitation	61.7 mm (2.4 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Rainworth	Australia	Record daily precipitation	71.1 mm (2.8 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Biloela Dpi	Australia	Record daily precipitation	60.5 mm (2.4 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Glenelg	Australia	Record daily precipitation	72.4 mm (2.9 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Virden	Canada	Record low maximum temperature	-10.6 C (12.9 F)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Lorraine	Australia	Record daily precipitation	78.5 mm (3.1 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Wilburra Downs Station	Australia	Record daily precipitation	67.3 mm (2.6 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Shirbourne Park	Australia	Record daily precipitation	138.9 mm (5.5 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Mantuan Downs	Australia	Record daily precipitation	67.3 mm (2.6 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Juandah	Australia	Record daily precipitation	86.4 mm (3.4 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Cockatoo Station	Australia	Record daily precipitation	105.7 mm (4.2 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Saltern Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	73.7 mm (2.9 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Braemar State Forest	Australia	Record daily precipitation	86.4 mm (3.4 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Nonda Downs Station	Australia	Record daily precipitation	120.9 mm (4.8 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Bowen Downs	Australia	Record daily precipitation	83.8 mm (3.3 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Melrose	Australia	Record daily precipitation	53.8 mm (2.1 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Boynedale	Australia	Record daily precipitation	184.2 mm (7.3 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Muttaburra	Australia	Record daily precipitation	66.0 mm (2.6 in)	44 of 100 (Notable)
Bollon Mary St	Australia	Record daily precipitation	49.0 mm (1.9 in)	44 of 100 (Notable)
Walterhall	Australia	Record daily precipitation	77.5 mm (3.1 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Green Mountains	Australia	Record daily precipitation	79.8 mm (3.1 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Coomrith	Australia	Record daily precipitation	40.6 mm (1.6 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Humboldt	Canada	Record daily snowfall	6.4 cm (2.5 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Alpha Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	98.0 mm (3.9 in)	42 of 100 (Notable)
Rapur	India	Record daily precipitation	188.0 mm (7.4 in)	42 of 100 (Notable)
Alice Post Office	Australia	Record daily precipitation	61.0 mm (2.4 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)
Surbiton Station	Australia	Record daily precipitation	107.2 mm (4.2 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)
Ayrshire Downs	Australia	Record daily precipitation	44.7 mm (1.8 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)
Madowla	Australia	Record daily precipitation	94.0 mm (3.7 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)
Eddington Station	Australia	Record daily precipitation	101.6 mm (4.0 in)	40 of 100 (Notable)
Riverslea Tm	Australia	Record daily precipitation	77.5 mm (3.1 in)	40 of 100 (Notable)
Kulu Halt	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	195.0 mm (7.7 in)	39 of 100 (Notable)
Fairview	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	206.5 mm (8.1 in)	39 of 100 (Notable)
Lammermoor Station	Australia	Record daily precipitation	66.3 mm (2.6 in)	38 of 100 (Notable)
Reedy Creek Station	Australia	Record daily precipitation	59.2 mm (2.3 in)	38 of 100 (Notable)
Augustus Downs Station	Australia	Record daily precipitation	196.9 mm (7.8 in)	37 of 100 (Notable)
Glentana	Australia	Record daily precipitation	137.4 mm (5.4 in)	37 of 100 (Notable)
Somerby	Australia	Record daily precipitation	52.6 mm (2.1 in)	37 of 100 (Notable)
Yalleroi	Australia	Record daily precipitation	44.5 mm (1.8 in)	37 of 100 (Notable)
Moonmera	Australia	Record daily precipitation	86.6 mm (3.4 in)	37 of 100 (Notable)

Counts by Type and Timescale

672 records

Records set or tied on 21 December 1956 by type: Highest daily maximum 135, Lowest daily maximum 23, Highest daily minimum 185, Lowest daily minimum 8, Heaviest daily rainfall 308, Heaviest daily snowfall 12, Deepest snow cover 1.

Records on 21 December 1956 by type
Record type	Records
Highest daily maximum	135
Lowest daily maximum	23
Highest daily minimum	185
Lowest daily minimum	8
Heaviest daily rainfall	308
Heaviest daily snowfall	12
Deepest snow cover	1

Records on 21 December 1956 by timescale: all-time 1, monthly 20, daily 651.

How Much Records Were Beaten By

561 broken records

Margins by which the 561 broken records beat the old ones, in degrees Celsius for temperature and millimetres for precipitation and snow; the largest margin was 125.0. Ties are not counted.

Top 20 by Significance

21 December 1956

Top 20 records on 21 December 1956 by significance
Date	Station	Record	Value	Beat old record by	Old record stood	Significance
21 December 1956	Burketown Post Office, AU	monthly rain	293.9 mm (11.6 in)	125.0 mm (4.9 in)	40 years	69 of 100 (Major)
21 December 1956	Stanwell Post Office, AU	daily rain	95.3 mm (3.8 in)	73.5 mm (2.9 in)	52 years	61 of 100 (Major)
21 December 1956	Chinchilla Water Treatment Pla, AU	daily rain	82.0 mm (3.2 in)	54.1 mm (2.1 in)	62 years	60 of 100 (Major)
21 December 1956	Winton Post Office, AU	daily rain	96.3 mm (3.8 in)	72.2 mm (2.8 in)	33 years	56 of 100 (Notable)
21 December 1956	Mtunzini, ZA	daily rain	116.0 mm (4.6 in)	91.4 mm (3.6 in)	36 years	54 of 100 (Notable)
21 December 1956	Moselle Downs Station, AU	daily rain	62.2 mm (2.4 in)	48.7 mm (1.9 in)	43 years	53 of 100 (Notable)
21 December 1956	Giligulgul, AU	daily rain	115.1 mm (4.5 in)	81.3 mm (3.2 in)	30 years	52 of 100 (Notable)
21 December 1956	Taroom Post Office, AU	daily rain	74.7 mm (2.9 in)	44.7 mm (1.8 in)	50 years	52 of 100 (Notable)
21 December 1956	Schoonoord, ZA	monthly rain	120.0 mm (4.7 in)	42.0 mm (1.7 in)	0 years	52 of 100 (Notable)
21 December 1956	Wowan Post Office, AU	daily rain	98.8 mm (3.9 in)	81.0 mm (3.2 in)	28 years	51 of 100 (Notable)
21 December 1956	Mayne Junction, AU	daily rain	169.4 mm (6.7 in)	93.5 mm (3.7 in)	22 years	51 of 100 (Notable)
21 December 1956	Gatcombe Head, AU	daily rain	123.2 mm (4.9 in)	83.6 mm (3.3 in)	30 years	50 of 100 (Notable)
21 December 1956	Pacific Salt, AU	daily rain	108.0 mm (4.3 in)	89.5 mm (3.5 in)	33 years	50 of 100 (Notable)
21 December 1956	Diddillibah, AU	daily rain	164.6 mm (6.5 in)	116.6 mm (4.6 in)	22 years	50 of 100 (Notable)
21 December 1956	Bauhinia Downs Store, AU	daily rain	70.6 mm (2.8 in)	43.4 mm (1.7 in)	55 years	49 of 100 (Notable)
21 December 1956	Beaconsfield, AU	daily rain	94.5 mm (3.7 in)	80.5 mm (3.2 in)	13 years	49 of 100 (Notable)
21 December 1956	Duaringa Post Office, AU	daily rain	97.3 mm (3.8 in)	38.9 mm (1.5 in)	63 years	48 of 100 (Notable)
21 December 1956	Kabra Railway STN, AU	daily rain	65.5 mm (2.6 in)	49.8 mm (2.0 in)	52 years	48 of 100 (Notable)
21 December 1956	Barfield, AU	daily rain	66.0 mm (2.6 in)	49.0 mm (1.9 in)	29 years	48 of 100 (Notable)
21 December 1956	Brynawe, Paddock, ZA	daily rain	124.0 mm (4.9 in)	83.4 mm (3.3 in)	19 years	48 of 100 (Notable)

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 1956

Records set or tied on this calendar date in each year from 1793 to 1956. 1956 had 672 records.

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

Records on 12-21 in each year
Year	Records
1793	1
1794	1
1799	1
1801	2
1808	3
1825	1
1828	1
1839	1
1846	1
1850	1
1855	7
1859	1
1860	1
1868	1
1870	1
1871	2
1874	2
1875	3
1876	1
1877	1
1878	1
1879	1
1880	1
1884	1
1886	3
1889	1
1890	4
1893	4
1894	1
1895	5
1896	3
1897	3
1898	1
1900	8
1901	15
1902	5
1903	25
1904	3
1905	15
1906	15
1907	17
1908	19
1909	20
1910	29
1911	36
1912	23
1913	11
1914	107
1915	43
1916	40
1917	18
1918	41
1919	57
1920	30
1921	104
1922	34
1923	323
1924	377
1925	120
1926	178
1927	147
1928	70
1929	156
1930	66
1931	556
1932	150
1933	581
1934	230
1935	398
1936	323
1937	189
1938	145
1939	140
1940	622
1941	651
1942	968
1943	148
1944	762
1945	396
1946	495
1947	700
1948	297
1949	1,281
1950	504
1951	1,061
1952	197
1953	256
1954	444
1955	888
1956	672
1957	846
1958	516
1959	272
1960	585
1961	254
1962	563
1963	1,137
1964	613
1965	247
1966	400
1967	1,923
1968	818
1969	828
1970	547
1971	680
1972	651
1973	1,292
1974	374
1975	548
1976	446
1977	470
1978	517
1979	558
1980	726
1981	1,476
1982	702
1983	3,324
1984	1,012
1985	979
1986	404
1987	775
1988	717
1989	3,203
1990	2,701
1991	1,125
1992	751
1993	967
1994	793
1995	878
1996	1,114
1997	810
1998	1,142
1999	851
2000	944
2001	650
2002	579
2003	1,103
2004	675
2005	606
2006	1,443
2007	946
2008	1,062
2009	1,097
2010	2,039
2011	653
2012	759
2013	1,029
2014	878
2015	1,173
2016	543
2017	459
2018	742
2019	755
2020	965
2021	323
2022	528
2023	1,170
2024	778
2025	1,099

Download the Data

Data for records on 1956-12-21: 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 20	454
20 to 40	58
40 to 60	29
60 to 80	6
80 to 100	10
100 to 120	3
120 to 140	1