WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria experienced a new temperature peak for July on July 31 as intense heat affected the eastern regions. A weather station located in Wieselburg, Lower Austria, recorded 40.3 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous July high of 39.7 degrees set in Dellach im Drautal in 1983. GeoSphere Austria verified this monthly record. The temperature remained below the national record of 40.5 degrees, which was recorded in August 2013.
This latest temperature record came after an extremely hot June across much of Austria. Out of 277 weather stations monitored, 157 registered new maximum temperatures for June. Additionally, 66 stations recorded their highest temperature ever for any month. Vienna reached 40.0 degrees on June 28, while Bad Deutsch-Altenburg hit 40.1 degrees one day later. Numerous lower-altitude locations also faced between 10 and 14 days in a row with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees.
The Wegener Center at the University of Graz estimated that the heatwaves in June and late July resulted in approximately €1.4 billion in socioeconomic losses. This estimate encompasses health impacts, reduced labor productivity, damage to agriculture, infrastructure pressures, and increased cooling needs. It also accounts for ecological stress and challenges faced by public services. The figure does not represent an official government damage assessment and differs from insured-loss data, which only reflect claims covered by insurance policies.
Heat severity surpasses previous national records
The study evaluated both heatwaves via area-degree days, a metric that combines temperature, duration, and geographic extent. The June heatwave registered around 16,700 area-degree days. The late July event was estimated to fall between 22,700 and 25,000. Austria’s earlier benchmark was a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which measured approximately 22,100 area-degree days across land areas below 1,500 meters in elevation.
The early summer heatwave also coincided with a sharp increase in deaths linked to high temperatures. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated 395 heat-related deaths in June 2026, marking the highest June figure since records began. Heat-related mortality indicates a rise above expected death rates during periods of extreme heat. It does not necessarily mean heat was the sole medical cause on every death certificate.
Intense drought conditions intensify stress across Austria
Months of unusually low rainfall preceded Austria’s heatwave. From January 1 to July 27, total nationwide precipitation was about 426 millimeters, significantly below the average of 609 millimeters for that period, resulting in a near 30% deficit. Authorities described the first seven months of 2026 as the driest period since at least the early 20th century, with Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland experiencing some of the most significant rainfall shortages.
Persistent high pressure, abundant sunshine, and minimal rain led to increased evaporation through late May, June, and July. These conditions drained soil moisture and placed strain on crops, rivers, forests, and regional water supplies. Climate records indicate that heatwaves in Austria are now more frequent and longer-lasting than in previous decades. The average peak temperatures during these heat events have increased by roughly three degrees since the 1980s. The July record adds another chapter to Austria’s ongoing pattern of intensifying extreme heat conditions.