Dorset Weather Records (SF006322740)

Record envelope, standing records and threshold days for Dorset (SF006322740), South Africa, with 63 years of record.

Key Facts for Dorset

Dorset (SF006322740) is a weather station in South Africa at -24.07 latitude and 28.17 longitude, 1,463 m (4,800 ft) above sea level.
The station reports from 1935 to 1997, 63 years of record.
0 records set at Dorset still stand.
Records are tracked for prcp: an element needs 30 years of data to be eligible.
Dorset set a daily record precipitation of 57.0 mm (2.2 in) on 10 November 1997.

About the Station

Location: South Africa, -24.07 latitude, 28.17 longitude.
Elevation: 1,463 m (4,800 ft).
Period of record: 1935 to 1997, 63 years.
Eligible elements: prcp.

Daily Record Envelope and 2026

0 days at or beyond a record

The band shows the record high and record low for each calendar day at Dorset. The lines show the 2026 daily maximum and minimum. 0 days in 2026 matched or passed a record. Temperatures are in degrees Celsius.

Daily record high and record low at Dorset, with 2026 drawn through them
Month	Highest record high	Lowest record low	2026 highest maximum	2026 lowest minimum
Jan	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Feb	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Mar	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Apr	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
May	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Jun	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Jul	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Aug	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Sep	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Oct	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Nov	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Dec	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

Which Years Hold Standing Records

0 standing records

0 records at Dorset still stand.

All-Time Record Progression

5 new records

5 all-time records were set at Dorset between 7 December 1969 and 11 December 1978. Each dot is a new record.

When Dorset set new all-time records
Date	Kind	Detail
1969-12-07	Record daily precipitation	Record daily precipitation 105.0 mm (4.1 in)
1976-02-12	Record daily precipitation	Record daily precipitation 116.5 mm (4.6 in)
1978-09-13	Record daily precipitation	Record daily precipitation 140.0 mm (5.5 in)
1978-10-19	Record daily precipitation	Record daily precipitation 160.0 mm (6.3 in)
1978-12-11	Record daily precipitation	Record daily precipitation 200.0 mm (7.9 in)

Wettest Day of Each Month

Dec: 200.0 mm (7.9 in)

The wettest day on record for each calendar month at Dorset. The most was 200.0 mm (7.9 in) on 11 December 1978.

Record daily precipitation for each month at Dorset
Month	Record daily precipitation (mm)	Date
Jan	104.0 mm (4.1 in)	5 January 1981
Feb	116.5 mm (4.6 in)	12 February 1976
Mar	89.5 mm (3.5 in)	18 March 1953
Apr	84.6 mm (3.3 in)	14 April 1947
May	37.1 mm (1.5 in)	31 May 1942
Jun	53.1 mm (2.1 in)	18 June 1940
Jul	48.0 mm (1.9 in)	3 July 1957
Aug	21.0 mm (0.8 in)	31 August 1985
Sep	140.0 mm (5.5 in)	13 September 1978
Oct	160.0 mm (6.3 in)	19 October 1978
Nov	150.0 mm (5.9 in)	2 November 1978
Dec	200.0 mm (7.9 in)	11 December 1978

Latest Records

Latest records at Dorset
Date	Station	Record	Value	Beat old record by	Old record stood	Significance
10 November 1997	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	57.0 mm (2.2 in)	2.0 mm (0.08 in)	43 years	19 of 100 (Routine)
16 October 1997	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	16.5 mm (0.6 in)	1.5 mm (0.06 in)	19 years	11 of 100 (Routine)
25 May 1997	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	30.0 mm (1.2 in)	14.0 mm (0.6 in)	60 years	40 of 100 (Notable)
23 May 1997	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	18.5 mm (0.7 in)	7.5 mm (0.30 in)	30 years	20 of 100 (Routine)
5 March 1997	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	60.0 mm (2.4 in)	42.0 mm (1.7 in)	42 years	47 of 100 (Notable)
19 November 1996	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	38.5 mm (1.5 in)	6.0 mm (0.24 in)	37 years	20 of 100 (Routine)
16 July 1996	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	10.5 mm (0.4 in)	1.0 mm (0.04 in)	26 years	14 of 100 (Routine)
22 May 1996	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	11.0 mm (0.4 in)	3.5 mm (0.14 in)	17 years	15 of 100 (Routine)
20 May 1996	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	11.5 mm (0.5 in)	11.5 mm (0.5 in)	60 years	20 of 100 (Routine)
3 March 1996	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	54.0 mm (2.1 in)	10.8 mm (0.4 in)	53 years	28 of 100 (Routine)
11 February 1996	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	92.0 mm (3.6 in)	44.0 mm (1.7 in)	20 years	40 of 100 (Notable)
8 February 1996	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	87.0 mm (3.4 in)	50.5 mm (2.0 in)	16 years	44 of 100 (Notable)
7 February 1996	Dorset, ZA	daily rain (Tie)	45.5 mm (1.8 in)	tie	41 years	4 of 100 (Routine)
23 December 1995	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	45.5 mm (1.8 in)	19.5 mm (0.8 in)	12 years	20 of 100 (Routine)
23 May 1995	Dorset, ZA	daily rain (Tie)	11.0 mm (0.4 in)	tie	28 years	3 of 100 (Routine)
27 April 1995	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	20.0 mm (0.8 in)	3.5 mm (0.14 in)	44 years	20 of 100 (Routine)
24 March 1995	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	35.0 mm (1.4 in)	3.8 mm (0.15 in)	2 years	8 of 100 (Routine)
23 November 1994	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	23.5 mm (0.9 in)	3.9 mm (0.15 in)	47 years	20 of 100 (Routine)
12 January 1994	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	43.0 mm (1.7 in)	27.0 mm (1.1 in)	23 years	27 of 100 (Routine)
3 January 1994	Dorset, ZA	daily rain	80.0 mm (3.1 in)	7.0 mm (0.28 in)	38 years	21 of 100 (Routine)

Extremes by Year

1935 to 1997

Yearly extremes at Dorset: the record and the median year
Measure	Record	Year of the record	Median year	Years with a value
Wettest day (Rx1day)	200.0 mm (7.9 in)	1978	61.0 mm (2.4 in)	63
Wettest five days (Rx5day)	315.0 mm (12.4 in)	1978	95.5 mm (3.8 in)	63
Longest dry spell (CDD)	206 days	1994	117 days	63

Wettest day (Rx1day)

The wettest day of the year at Dorset, 1935 to 1997. The record is 200.0 mm (7.9 in) in 1978, marked on the chart; the median year is 61.0 mm (2.4 in).

Wettest day (Rx1day) at Dorset by year
Year	Wettest day (Rx1day)
1935	26.7 mm (1.1 in)
1936	88.9 mm (3.5 in)
1937	69.6 mm (2.7 in)
1938	50.8 mm (2.0 in)
1939	48.0 mm (1.9 in)
1940	80.0 mm (3.1 in)
1941	50.8 mm (2.0 in)
1942	76.2 mm (3.0 in)
1943	81.3 mm (3.2 in)
1944	50.8 mm (2.0 in)
1945	41.1 mm (1.6 in)
1946	41.4 mm (1.6 in)
1947	84.6 mm (3.3 in)
1948	76.2 mm (3.0 in)
1949	53.3 mm (2.1 in)
1950	50.8 mm (2.0 in)
1951	55.4 mm (2.2 in)
1952	63.5 mm (2.5 in)
1953	89.5 mm (3.5 in)
1954	55.0 mm (2.2 in)
1955	67.0 mm (2.6 in)
1956	96.0 mm (3.8 in)
1957	48.0 mm (1.9 in)
1958	54.0 mm (2.1 in)
1959	72.0 mm (2.8 in)
1960	61.0 mm (2.4 in)
1961	90.0 mm (3.5 in)
1962	100.0 mm (3.9 in)
1963	47.0 mm (1.9 in)
1964	35.5 mm (1.4 in)
1965	36.0 mm (1.4 in)
1966	80.0 mm (3.1 in)
1967	72.0 mm (2.8 in)
1968	75.0 mm (3.0 in)
1969	105.0 mm (4.1 in)
1970	28.5 mm (1.1 in)
1971	46.5 mm (1.8 in)
1972	77.5 mm (3.1 in)
1973	60.0 mm (2.4 in)
1974	72.0 mm (2.8 in)
1975	90.0 mm (3.5 in)
1976	116.5 mm (4.6 in)
1977	90.0 mm (3.5 in)
1978	200.0 mm (7.9 in)
1979	70.0 mm (2.8 in)
1980	43.0 mm (1.7 in)
1981	104.0 mm (4.1 in)
1982	35.5 mm (1.4 in)
1983	68.0 mm (2.7 in)
1984	61.0 mm (2.4 in)
1985	97.0 mm (3.8 in)
1986	32.0 mm (1.3 in)
1987	60.0 mm (2.4 in)
1988	36.0 mm (1.4 in)
1989	37.0 mm (1.5 in)
1990	55.0 mm (2.2 in)
1991	47.5 mm (1.9 in)
1992	56.0 mm (2.2 in)
1993	57.5 mm (2.3 in)
1994	80.0 mm (3.1 in)
1995	45.5 mm (1.8 in)
1996	92.0 mm (3.6 in)
1997	60.0 mm (2.4 in)

Wettest five days (Rx5day)

The wettest five days of the year at Dorset, 1935 to 1997. The record is 315.0 mm (12.4 in) in 1978, marked on the chart; the median year is 95.5 mm (3.8 in).

Wettest five days (Rx5day) at Dorset by year
Year	Wettest five days (Rx5day)
1935	44.9 mm (1.8 in)
1936	102.4 mm (4.0 in)
1937	119.6 mm (4.7 in)
1938	76.4 mm (3.0 in)
1939	108.2 mm (4.3 in)
1940	114.3 mm (4.5 in)
1941	64.8 mm (2.6 in)
1942	91.2 mm (3.6 in)
1943	107.5 mm (4.2 in)
1944	114.3 mm (4.5 in)
1945	47.0 mm (1.9 in)
1946	100.5 mm (4.0 in)
1947	84.6 mm (3.3 in)
1948	134.1 mm (5.3 in)
1949	105.7 mm (4.2 in)
1950	51.8 mm (2.0 in)
1951	63.8 mm (2.5 in)
1952	63.5 mm (2.5 in)
1953	111.3 mm (4.4 in)
1954	83.5 mm (3.3 in)
1955	152.0 mm (6.0 in)
1956	111.5 mm (4.4 in)
1957	80.5 mm (3.2 in)
1958	69.5 mm (2.7 in)
1959	80.0 mm (3.1 in)
1960	86.5 mm (3.4 in)
1961	98.0 mm (3.9 in)
1962	122.0 mm (4.8 in)
1963	73.5 mm (2.9 in)
1964	55.5 mm (2.2 in)
1965	39.0 mm (1.5 in)
1966	112.0 mm (4.4 in)
1967	104.5 mm (4.1 in)
1968	79.0 mm (3.1 in)
1969	147.0 mm (5.8 in)
1970	51.5 mm (2.0 in)
1971	73.0 mm (2.9 in)
1972	137.8 mm (5.4 in)
1973	79.5 mm (3.1 in)
1974	140.0 mm (5.5 in)
1975	186.5 mm (7.3 in)
1976	131.5 mm (5.2 in)
1977	130.0 mm (5.1 in)
1978	315.0 mm (12.4 in)
1979	161.0 mm (6.3 in)
1980	109.0 mm (4.3 in)
1981	135.0 mm (5.3 in)
1982	47.5 mm (1.9 in)
1983	95.5 mm (3.8 in)
1984	69.0 mm (2.7 in)
1985	141.0 mm (5.6 in)
1986	52.0 mm (2.0 in)
1987	83.5 mm (3.3 in)
1988	102.0 mm (4.0 in)
1989	51.0 mm (2.0 in)
1990	78.0 mm (3.1 in)
1991	118.1 mm (4.6 in)
1992	76.5 mm (3.0 in)
1993	78.5 mm (3.1 in)
1994	80.0 mm (3.1 in)
1995	112.5 mm (4.4 in)
1996	224.5 mm (8.8 in)
1997	82.5 mm (3.2 in)

Longest dry spell (CDD)

The longest dry spell of the year at Dorset, 1935 to 1997. The record is 206 days in 1994, marked on the chart; the median year is 117 days.

Longest dry spell (CDD) at Dorset by year
Year	Longest dry spell (CDD)
1935	103 days
1936	141 days
1937	136 days
1938	144 days
1939	58 days
1940	91 days
1941	174 days
1942	69 days
1943	72 days
1944	96 days
1945	144 days
1946	154 days
1947	102 days
1948	154 days
1949	114 days
1950	121 days
1951	107 days
1952	123 days
1953	161 days
1954	119 days
1955	145 days
1956	152 days
1957	71 days
1958	83 days
1959	55 days
1960	94 days
1961	117 days
1962	185 days
1963	38 days
1964	106 days
1965	201 days
1966	67 days
1967	76 days
1968	103 days
1969	78 days
1970	72 days
1971	118 days
1972	145 days
1973	163 days
1974	65 days
1975	173 days
1976	120 days
1977	137 days
1978	177 days
1979	95 days
1980	152 days
1981	119 days
1982	79 days
1983	98 days
1984	80 days
1985	109 days
1986	152 days
1987	118 days
1988	147 days
1989	165 days
1990	73 days
1991	103 days
1992	103 days
1993	149 days
1994	206 days
1995	134 days
1996	63 days
1997	105 days

Each chart shows one value per year; the dot marks the record year. TXx is the hottest daily maximum, TNn the coldest daily minimum, Rx1day and Rx5day the largest one-day and five-day rain totals, and CDD the longest run of days with less than 1 mm of rain. A year with missing days can understate an extreme.

Rainfall Return Levels

61 years, 1936 to 1997

A day with at least 62.1 mm (2.4 in) of rain is expected about once in 2 years. A day with at least 152.7 mm (6.0 in) of rain is expected about once in 100 years.

Rainfall return levels at Dorset: the daily rain expected about once in a given number of years
Expected about once in	A day with at least	Note
2 years	62.1 mm (2.4 in)
5 years	84.9 mm (3.3 in)
10 years	100.6 mm (4.0 in)
25 years	121.0 mm (4.8 in)
50 years	136.7 mm (5.4 in)
100 years	152.7 mm (6.0 in)	Longer than the 61 years of record

The levels come from a generalised extreme value (GEV) distribution fitted by L-moments to the wettest-day total of each year, 61 years of values from 1936 to 1997.

A return level is an estimate. It is least reliable for the long periods, 50 and 100 years, and for any period longer than the record behind the fit, where the fit has to reach past the largest day actually observed. It is not a forecast.

The largest wettest-day totals in the fit: 200.0 mm (7.9 in) in 1978; 116.5 mm (4.6 in) in 1976; 105.0 mm (4.1 in) in 1969.

Download the Data

Data for Dorset standing records by year: CSV or JSON. Field meanings are on the data page.
Data for Dorset threshold days by year: CSV or JSON. Field meanings are on the data page.

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 2026-10-14 (14 October 2026). Records are computed by this site and are not official.

Data as of 2025-12-31. Last revised 31 December 2025 (2025-12-31).

Month	Highest record high	Lowest record low	2026 highest maximum	2026 lowest minimum
Jan	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Feb	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Mar	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Apr	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
May	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Jun	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Jul	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Aug	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Sep	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Oct	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Nov	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Dec	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

Month	Highest record high	Lowest record low	2026 highest maximum	2026 lowest minimum
Jan	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Feb	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Mar	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Apr	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
May	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Jun	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Jul	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Aug	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Sep	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Oct	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Nov	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Dec	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a