WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria set a new July temperature record on July 31, when Wieselburg hit 40.3 degrees Celsius. This reading in Lower Austria surpassed the previous July record of 39.7 degrees, which was recorded in Dellach im Drautal in 1983. GeoSphere Austria confirmed that this was the highest temperature recorded for the month during a heatwave centered on the eastern regions of the country. Austria’s all-time highest temperature remains 40.5 degrees, measured at Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
The milestone in July followed a June marked by widespread and persistent extreme heat. According to GeoSphere Austria, 157 of its 277 monitored weather stations recorded new maximum temperatures for June, with 66 stations reaching their highest temperature ever in any month. Vienna experienced 40.0 degrees on June 28, while Bad Deutsch-Altenburg recorded 40.1 degrees the next day. Several low-altitude areas endured a continuous 10 to 14 days with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees.
The Wegener Center at the University of Graz estimated that combined economic and social damages from the June and late July heatwaves amount to approximately €1.4 billion. This preliminary estimate encompasses health impacts, productivity loss, agricultural damages, infrastructure stress, and increased cooling demands. It also considers effects on ecosystems and public services. However, this figure does not constitute an official government assessment nor an insured-loss total, as insurance data only reflect damages covered under active policies.
Extreme heat surpasses previous Austrian heatwave records
The Wegener Center utilized area-degree days, which combine the intensity, duration, and geographic extent of heat, to measure the events. They calculated approximately 16,700 area-degree days for the June heatwave. Their evaluation placed the late July heat episode between 22,700 and 25,000 area-degree days. Austria’s prior record was set during a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which reached roughly 22,100 area-degree days across land below 1,500 meters elevation.
The extreme temperatures also correlated with a notable rise in heat-related fatalities. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated 395 heat-related deaths in June 2026. This marked the highest June total since the agency began tracking this data. Heat-related mortality counts deaths exceeding expected levels during periods of abnormally high temperatures, without necessarily attributing heat as the sole cause on each death certificate.
Prolonged drought deepens across Austria amid ongoing heat
Following months of unusually dry weather, Austria experienced the heatwave amidst a backdrop of significant drought conditions. From January 1 through July 27, the country recorded roughly 426 millimeters of rainfall, well below the long-term average of 609 millimeters for the same period—a shortfall approaching 30%. Officials described the first seven months of 2026 as the driest comparable period since at least the early 1900s. Notably, Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland faced some of the largest rainfall deficits.
Persistent high-pressure systems, intense sunshine, and minimal rainfall increased evaporation rates during late spring and summer. This pattern reduced soil moisture, exerting additional pressure on crops, rivers, forests, and water sources. Climate records indicate that heatwaves in Austria have become more frequent, longer-lasting, and hotter over recent decades, with average maximum temperatures during these events rising by approximately three degrees between the 1980s and the 2020s. The new July record further confirms Austria’s ongoing trend of increasing extreme heat.