WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria recorded its highest July temperature on July 31 when Wieselburg hit 40.3 degrees Celsius. This temperature surpassed the previous July record of 39.7 degrees, set in Dellach im Drautal in 1983. GeoSphere Austria confirmed the new monthly peak amid a heatwave centered over eastern regions of the country. Austria’s all-time temperature record remains 40.5 degrees, registered at Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
The July record followed a June marked by widespread and persistent extreme heat. According to GeoSphere Austria, 157 of its 277 weather stations recorded new maximum temperatures for June. Additionally, 66 stations reported their highest temperature ever in any month. On June 28, Vienna reached 40.0 degrees, while Bad Deutsch-Altenburg registered 40.1 degrees the next day. Multiple low-lying areas experienced 10 to 14 consecutive days with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees.
The Wegener Center at the University of Graz estimated that the combined socioeconomic damages from the June and late July heatwaves totaled approximately €1.4 billion. This preliminary estimate accounts for health issues, reduced productivity, agricultural damage, infrastructure stress, and increased cooling demands. It also considers impacts on ecosystems and public services. The figure does not constitute an official government evaluation nor includes insured losses, as insurance data only reflect damage covered under active policies.
Heatwave intensity exceeds previous Austrian event
The Wegener Center assessed the heatwaves by calculating area-degree days, which reflect heat intensity, duration, and geographical extent. Their analysis indicated approximately 16,700 area-degree days for the June heatwave. The late July event was estimated to fall between 22,700 and 25,000. Austria’s previous record was set during a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which reached around 22,100 area-degree days over land below 1,500 meters in elevation.
The extreme temperatures also correlated with a notable rise in heat-related fatalities. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated 395 deaths in June 2026 linked to heat. This marked the highest June total since the agency began tracking the data. Heat-related mortality includes deaths occurring above expected levels during periods of intense heat, without necessarily requiring heat to be the direct cause listed on death certificates.
Prolonged drought worsens Austria’s water scarcity issues
Following months of unusually dry weather, Austria faced the heatwave amid a significant rainfall deficit. From January 1 to July 27, total nationwide rainfall amounted to about 426 millimeters, compared to the long-term average of 609 millimeters for the same period—a shortfall of nearly 30%. Authorities described the first seven months of 2026 as the driest comparable period since at least the early 1900s. Regions such as Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland experienced some of the country’s largest rainfall shortages.
Persistent high-pressure systems, intense sunshine, and scarce precipitation increased evaporation during late spring and summer, reducing soil moisture and exerting additional stress on crops, rivers, forests, and water supplies. Climate records in Austria show that heatwaves have become more frequent, longer, and more intense over recent decades. The average maximum temperatures during heatwaves have increased by about three degrees from the 1980s to the 2020s. The July temperature record further underscores Austria’s ongoing trend of rising extreme heat levels.