Weather Records on 20 October 1981

1,083 weather records were set or tied worldwide on 20 October 1981. Highest significance: Vaexjoe, SE.

Key Facts for 20 October 1981

On 20 October 1981, 1,083 weather records were set or tied at long-record stations worldwide.
82 were record highs and 248 were record lows, counting maximum and minimum temperature.
By timescale, 1 were all-time records, 51 monthly and 1,031 daily.
Vaexjoe set a daily record precipitation of 28.6 mm (1.1 in) on 20 October 1981.
Across 160 earlier years (1806 to 2025) the same calendar date averaged 453 records.

Record Map

1,083 stations

1,083 station records on 20 October 1981 are marked on the map, coloured by record type. Dot size shows the significance score. Made with Natural Earth.

Weather records on 20 October 1981: highest significance records shown on the map
Station	Country	Type	Value	Significance
Vaexjoe	Sweden	Record daily precipitation	28.6 mm (1.1 in)	67 of 100 (Major)
Halmstad	Sweden	Record daily precipitation	28.5 mm (1.1 in)	65 of 100 (Major)
Bringelly (Maryland)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	54.4 mm (2.1 in)	61 of 100 (Major)
Epping Chester Street	Australia	Record daily precipitation	61.4 mm (2.4 in)	53 of 100 (Notable)
Prospect Reservoir	Australia	Record daily precipitation	48.6 mm (1.9 in)	53 of 100 (Notable)
Menangle Jmai	Australia	Record daily precipitation	48.0 mm (1.9 in)	53 of 100 (Notable)
Clube de Regatas	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	114.8 mm (4.5 in)	53 of 100 (Notable)
Pitangueiras	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	78.7 mm (3.1 in)	53 of 100 (Notable)
Ashfield Bowling Club	Australia	Record daily precipitation	68.0 mm (2.7 in)	52 of 100 (Notable)
Potts Hill Reservoir	Australia	Record daily precipitation	70.2 mm (2.8 in)	52 of 100 (Notable)
Glenfield (Macquarie)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	61.4 mm (2.4 in)	52 of 100 (Notable)
Soraby	Sweden	Record daily precipitation	29.4 mm (1.2 in)	52 of 100 (Notable)
Hagshults_Flygplats	Sweden	Record daily precipitation	27.4 mm (1.1 in)	52 of 100 (Notable)
Newport Bowling Club	Australia	Record daily precipitation	79.0 mm (3.1 in)	51 of 100 (Notable)
Fazenda Guaxupe	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	121.2 mm (4.8 in)	51 of 100 (Notable)
Ribeirao Bonito	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	97.8 mm (3.9 in)	51 of 100 (Notable)
Guaxupe Aneel/Cesp	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	120.2 mm (4.7 in)	50 of 100 (Notable)
Camden (Brownlow Hill)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	60.0 mm (2.4 in)	49 of 100 (Notable)
Fazenda Monte Alegre	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	102.6 mm (4.0 in)	49 of 100 (Notable)
Usina Amalia	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	118.4 mm (4.7 in)	49 of 100 (Notable)
Jardinopolis	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	91.1 mm (3.6 in)	49 of 100 (Notable)
Miranda (Blackwood St)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	76.4 mm (3.0 in)	48 of 100 (Notable)
Granshult	Sweden	Record daily precipitation	28.9 mm (1.1 in)	48 of 100 (Notable)
Richmond - Uws Hawkesbury	Australia	Record daily precipitation	39.0 mm (1.5 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Caxambu	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	86.1 mm (3.4 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Orlandia	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	111.2 mm (4.4 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Ribeirao Preto	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	111.5 mm (4.4 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Mococa	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	97.8 mm (3.9 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Oufontein	South Africa	Record daily precipitation	28.0 mm (1.1 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Hyltan	Sweden	Record daily precipitation	26.6 mm (1.0 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Skillingaryd	Sweden	Record daily precipitation	27.7 mm (1.1 in)	47 of 100 (Notable)
Sans Souci (Public School)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	66.4 mm (2.6 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Emu Plains	Australia	Record daily precipitation	48.0 mm (1.9 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Badgerys Creek McMasters F.STN	Australia	Record daily precipitation	56.0 mm (2.2 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Vargem Grande Do Sul	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	79.6 mm (3.1 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Sao Joao da Boa Vista	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	70.1 mm (2.8 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Almhult	Sweden	Record daily precipitation	28.6 mm (1.1 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Toraliden	Sweden	Record daily precipitation	31.0 mm (1.2 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Korsberga	Sweden	Record daily precipitation	31.0 mm (1.2 in)	46 of 100 (Notable)
Mulbring (Vincent Street)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	60.4 mm (2.4 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Bexley Bowling Club	Australia	Record daily precipitation	58.9 mm (2.3 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Usina Gaviao Peixoto (Cpfl)	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	91.9 mm (3.6 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Freguesia da Escada	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	57.9 mm (2.3 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Nueva Casas Grandes	Mexico	Record daily precipitation	41.1 mm (1.6 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Nuevo Casas Grandes (Dge)	Mexico	Record daily precipitation	40.9 mm (1.6 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Rorsbo	Sweden	Record daily precipitation	25.5 mm (1.0 in)	45 of 100 (Notable)
Lagoa Branca	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	65.9 mm (2.6 in)	44 of 100 (Notable)
Rudnya	Russia	Record daily precipitation	26.3 mm (1.0 in)	44 of 100 (Notable)
Serrana	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	115.5 mm (4.5 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Sitio Sao Geraldo	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	86.6 mm (3.4 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Jacarei	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	46.5 mm (1.8 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Tvingelshed	Sweden	Record daily precipitation	27.3 mm (1.1 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Singeshult	Sweden	Record daily precipitation	34.3 mm (1.4 in)	43 of 100 (Notable)
Darlington Point (Tubbo)	Australia	Record daily precipitation	26.6 mm (1.0 in)	42 of 100 (Notable)
Terra Roxa	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	72.0 mm (2.8 in)	42 of 100 (Notable)
Fazenda Juca Casimiro	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	108.8 mm (4.3 in)	42 of 100 (Notable)
Socorro	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	67.3 mm (2.6 in)	42 of 100 (Notable)
Fazenda Santo Angelo	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	54.7 mm (2.2 in)	42 of 100 (Notable)
St Marys Bowling Club	Australia	Record daily precipitation	55.6 mm (2.2 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)
Usina Esmeril (Cpfl) B4-005	Brazil	Record daily precipitation	77.0 mm (3.0 in)	41 of 100 (Notable)

Counts by Type and Timescale

1,083 records

Records set or tied on 20 October 1981 by type: Highest daily maximum 39, Lowest daily maximum 46, Highest daily minimum 43, Lowest daily minimum 202, Heaviest daily rainfall 698, Heaviest daily snowfall 40, Deepest snow cover 15.

Records on 20 October 1981 by type
Record type	Records
Highest daily maximum	39
Lowest daily maximum	46
Highest daily minimum	43
Lowest daily minimum	202
Heaviest daily rainfall	698
Heaviest daily snowfall	40
Deepest snow cover	15

Records on 20 October 1981 by timescale: all-time 1, monthly 51, daily 1,031.

How Much Records Were Beaten By

952 broken records

Margins by which the 952 broken records beat the old ones, in degrees Celsius for temperature and millimetres for precipitation and snow; the largest margin was 153.0. Ties are not counted.

Top 20 by Significance

20 October 1981

Top 20 records on 20 October 1981 by significance
Date	Station	Record	Value	Beat old record by	Old record stood	Significance
20 October 1981	Vaexjoe, SE	daily rain	28.6 mm (1.1 in)	12.5 mm (0.5 in)	120 years	67 of 100 (Major)
20 October 1981	Halmstad, SE	daily rain	28.5 mm (1.1 in)	14.8 mm (0.6 in)	88 years	65 of 100 (Major)
20 October 1981	Bringelly (Maryland), AU	daily rain	54.4 mm (2.1 in)	23.9 mm (0.9 in)	103 years	61 of 100 (Major)
20 October 1981	Epping Chester Street, AU	daily rain	61.4 mm (2.4 in)	32.2 mm (1.3 in)	67 years	53 of 100 (Notable)
20 October 1981	Prospect Reservoir, AU	daily rain	48.6 mm (1.9 in)	20.9 mm (0.8 in)	79 years	53 of 100 (Notable)
20 October 1981	Menangle Jmai, AU	daily rain	48.0 mm (1.9 in)	20.3 mm (0.8 in)	79 years	53 of 100 (Notable)
20 October 1981	Clube de Regatas, BR	daily rain	114.8 mm (4.5 in)	80.3 mm (3.2 in)	35 years	53 of 100 (Notable)
20 October 1981	Pitangueiras, BR	daily rain	78.7 mm (3.1 in)	56.4 mm (2.2 in)	31 years	53 of 100 (Notable)
20 October 1981	Ashfield Bowling Club, AU	daily rain	68.0 mm (2.7 in)	51.2 mm (2.0 in)	14 years	52 of 100 (Notable)
20 October 1981	Potts Hill Reservoir, AU	daily rain	70.2 mm (2.8 in)	50.9 mm (2.0 in)	14 years	52 of 100 (Notable)
20 October 1981	Glenfield (Macquarie), AU	daily rain	61.4 mm (2.4 in)	44.9 mm (1.8 in)	14 years	52 of 100 (Notable)
20 October 1981	Soraby, SE	daily rain	29.4 mm (1.2 in)	22.5 mm (0.9 in)	32 years	52 of 100 (Notable)
20 October 1981	Hagshults_Flygplats, SE	daily rain	27.4 mm (1.1 in)	20.5 mm (0.8 in)	32 years	52 of 100 (Notable)
20 October 1981	Newport Bowling Club, AU	daily rain	79.0 mm (3.1 in)	51.6 mm (2.0 in)	20 years	51 of 100 (Notable)
20 October 1981	Fazenda Guaxupe, BR	daily rain	121.2 mm (4.8 in)	90.0 mm (3.5 in)	26 years	51 of 100 (Notable)
20 October 1981	Ribeirao Bonito, BR	daily rain	97.8 mm (3.9 in)	55.8 mm (2.2 in)	43 years	51 of 100 (Notable)
20 October 1981	Guaxupe Aneel/Cesp, BR	daily rain	120.2 mm (4.7 in)	77.2 mm (3.0 in)	12 years	50 of 100 (Notable)
20 October 1981	Camden (Brownlow Hill), AU	daily rain	60.0 mm (2.4 in)	18.9 mm (0.7 in)	79 years	49 of 100 (Notable)
20 October 1981	Fazenda Monte Alegre, BR	daily rain	102.6 mm (4.0 in)	82.4 mm (3.2 in)	19 years	49 of 100 (Notable)
20 October 1981	Usina Amalia, BR	daily rain	118.4 mm (4.7 in)	86.0 mm (3.4 in)	18 years	49 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

1806 to 1981

Records set or tied on this calendar date in each year from 1806 to 1981. 1981 had 1,083 records.

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

Records on 10-20 in each year
Year	Records
1806	1
1835	1
1844	1
1846	1
1847	2
1851	1
1852	1
1858	1
1863	2
1864	2
1866	3
1867	1
1868	2
1872	2
1874	2
1875	3
1876	2
1877	1
1878	1
1880	3
1881	2
1884	1
1885	1
1886	1
1887	1
1888	6
1891	4
1892	4
1893	1
1894	3
1895	4
1896	9
1897	2
1898	7
1899	1
1900	8
1901	7
1902	5
1903	9
1904	13
1905	22
1906	28
1907	32
1908	26
1909	17
1910	31
1911	16
1912	6
1913	38
1914	16
1915	20
1916	72
1917	201
1918	34
1919	19
1920	81
1921	68
1922	83
1923	96
1924	182
1925	247
1926	147
1927	283
1928	92
1929	129
1930	672
1931	125
1932	331
1933	675
1934	422
1935	390
1936	370
1937	189
1938	231
1939	367
1940	757
1941	459
1942	152
1943	501
1944	288
1945	363
1946	310
1947	1,494
1948	320
1949	1,084
1950	619
1951	279
1952	520
1953	1,057
1954	262
1955	529
1956	283
1957	440
1958	461
1959	451
1960	671
1961	479
1962	733
1963	765
1964	598
1965	340
1966	857
1967	511
1968	244
1969	607
1970	710
1971	606
1972	1,724
1973	878
1974	1,122
1975	587
1976	1,304
1977	467
1978	508
1979	1,647
1980	350
1981	1,083
1982	1,191
1983	944
1984	1,562
1985	835
1986	823
1987	590
1988	737
1989	2,092
1990	609
1991	971
1992	1,174
1993	1,238
1994	650
1995	703
1996	1,417
1997	949
1998	683
1999	603
2000	737
2001	589
2002	985
2003	1,761
2004	1,861
2005	1,092
2006	1,170
2007	923
2008	477
2009	786
2010	539
2011	785
2012	945
2013	592
2014	851
2015	523
2016	947
2017	602
2018	394
2019	744
2020	1,010
2021	900
2022	834
2023	1,468
2024	707
2025	326

Download the Data

Data for records on 1981-10-20: 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 2026-10-16 (16 October 2026). Records are computed by this site and are not official.

Data as of 2026-10-16. Last revised 16 October 2026 (2026-10-16).

Margin	Records
0 to 20	773
20 to 40	129
40 to 60	36
60 to 80	5
80 to 100	5
100 to 120	2
120 to 140	0
140 to 160	2