WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria recorded its hottest July temperature on July 31, when Wieselburg in Lower Austria reached 40.3 degrees Celsius. This temperature broke the national July record of 39.7 degrees, set in Dellach im Drautal on July 27, 1983. The new high was confirmed by GeoSphere Austria as a severe heatwave intensified over eastern regions. Although the temperature did not surpass Austria’s all-time record of 40.5 degrees, measured in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013, it marked a significant July peak.
Following an extremely hot June that saw widespread temperature extremes across Austria, the July record was part of a series of intense heat events. GeoSphere Austria reported that 157 out of its 277 weather stations set new maximum temperature records for June. Additionally, 66 stations registered their highest temperature for any month. Vienna hit 40.0 degrees on June 28, with Bad Deutsch-Altenburg reaching 40.1 degrees the following day, establishing a new high for June in Austria. Several low-altitude areas experienced consecutive days of temperatures exceeding 30 degrees, with durations of 10 to 14 days.
The Wegener Center at the University of Graz estimates that the heatwaves in June and late July caused approximately €1.4 billion in socioeconomic damage. This figure is an initial broad estimate, not a definitive government assessment or insured-loss total. It encompasses impacts on health, workforce productivity, infrastructure, agriculture, ecosystems, and cooling demand. The researchers evaluated both episodes using a composite metric that considers heat intensity, duration, and geographic spread, rather than relying solely on the highest temperature recorded at a single station.
Scientists quantify nationwide heat intensity
According to the Wegener Center, the June heatwave amounted to roughly 16,700 area-degree days. Their latest analysis suggests that the current episode ranges between 22,700 and 25,000 area-degree days. For context, the previous record was during a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which reached about 22,100 area-degree days. This metric measures the extent of temperatures above 30 degrees spread across Austria and the duration of such conditions, covering land up to 1,500 meters above sea level.
Austria’s health authorities have also reported a significant human toll from the early summer heat. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated that 395 deaths related to heat occurred in June 2026, marking the highest June total since the agency began monitoring. Heat-associated mortality indicates deaths exceeding expected levels during extreme temperature periods and does not necessarily mean heat was the sole medical cause on each death certificate.
Intense heat intensifies Austria’s ongoing drought
The recent heat has deepened a drought that started in December 2025. GeoSphere Austria reported a total of 426 millimeters of rainfall across Austria from January 1 through July 27, well below the climate average of 609 millimeters for that period, resulting in a deficit of about 30%. The agency noted that Austria has not experienced such low rainfall during the first seven months of a year since at least the early 20th century. Regions most affected include Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland.
Prolonged periods of high-pressure systems, intense sunshine, and limited rainfall increased evaporation and reduced soil moisture during late May, June, and late July. These dry conditions have exerted stress on crops, rivers, forests, and water supplies in multiple regions. GeoSphere Austria highlighted that heatwaves now occur more frequently, last longer, and reach higher temperatures than in previous decades. Their records show that average maximum temperatures during heatwaves have risen by approximately three degrees between the 1980s and the 2020s.