WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria experienced a new temperature peak for July on July 31, driven by extreme heat spreading across eastern regions. A weather station located in Wieselburg, Lower Austria, recorded a temperature of 40.3 degrees Celsius. This value surpassed the previous July high of 39.7 degrees, which was recorded in Dellach im Drautal in 1983. GeoSphere Austria verified this as the monthly record. The temperature stayed below the national all-time high of 40.5 degrees, set in August 2013.
This latest record was preceded by an exceptionally hot June across much of Austria. Out of 277 weather stations monitored, 157 reported new maximum temperatures for June. Additionally, 66 stations recorded their highest temperature ever for any month. On June 28, Vienna hit 40.0 degrees, and Bad Deutsch-Altenburg reached 40.1 degrees one day later. Many lower-altitude regions also faced heatwaves lasting between 10 and 14 days with temperatures over 30 degrees.
Researchers from the University of Graz’s Wegener Center estimated that the heatwaves in June and late July resulted in approximately €1.4 billion in socioeconomic damages. Their assessment includes impacts on health, reduced labor productivity, agricultural losses, infrastructure strain, and increased cooling demands. It also accounts for stress on ecosystems and public services. This figure does not constitute an official government damage estimate and differs from insured-loss data, which only reflect claims covered by insurance policies.
Heat intensity surpasses previous national record
The study evaluated both heatwaves via area-degree days, a metric combining temperature, duration, and geographic extent. The June event reached about 16,700 area-degree days. The late July heatwave was estimated to be between 22,700 and 25,000. Austria’s previous benchmark was a 24-day heatwave during July and August 2013, which measured roughly 22,100 area-degree days across regions below 1,500 meters elevation.
The early summer heatwave coincided with a notable increase in heat-related deaths. According to the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, there were 395 such deaths in June 2026, marking the highest June figure since records began. Heat-related mortality reflects deaths exceeding normal expectations during periods of extreme heat. This statistic does not require heat to be the sole medical cause on death certificates.
Intensified drought compounds strain across Austria
Austria entered this heatwave after experiencing months of unusually low rainfall. From January 1 to July 27, total nationwide precipitation was about 426 millimeters, significantly below the 609 millimeters average for this period, indicating a near 30% deficit. Authorities described the first seven months of 2026 as the driest since at least the early 20th century. Regions such as Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland were among those most affected by the rainfall shortfall.
Persistent high pressure, intense sunlight, and scant rainfall increased evaporation rates through late May, June, and July. These conditions diminished soil moisture, stressing crops, rivers, forests, and regional water supplies. Climate data from Austria indicates that heatwaves are becoming more frequent and enduring compared to previous decades. The average peak temperatures during heatwaves have risen by approximately three degrees from the 1980s to the 2020s. The recent July record marks another milestone in Austria’s documented trend of escalating extreme heat.