WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria experienced a new temperature record for July on July 31 as extreme heat affected its eastern regions. A weather station in Wieselburg, Lower Austria, recorded a high of 40.3 degrees Celsius, exceeding the previous July maximum of 39.7 degrees registered 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, which was set in August 2013.
This latest record follows a June marked by exceptionally high temperatures across much of Austria. Out of 277 weather stations monitored, 157 recorded new maximum temperatures for June, and 66 stations documented their all-time highest temperature for any month. Vienna experienced 40.0 degrees on June 28, while Bad Deutsch-Altenburg reached 40.1 degrees the following day. Many lower-altitude locations faced prolonged periods—between 10 and 14 days—where temperatures stayed above 30 degrees.
Researchers from the University of Graz’s Wegener Center estimate that the June and late July heatwaves caused roughly €1.4 billion in socio-economic damages. This figure accounts for health impacts, decreased labor productivity, agricultural losses, infrastructure strain, and increased cooling needs. It also encompasses pressure on ecosystems and public services. The total does not reflect a final government damage assessment and differs from insured-loss figures, which only measure claims paid out by insurance providers.
Heat intensity surpasses previous national records
The research team evaluated both heatwaves through the metric of area-degree days, which combines temperature levels, duration, and geographic extent. The June event accumulated approximately 16,700 area-degree days. The late July heatwave was estimated to reach between 22,700 and 25,000. Austria’s prior benchmark was set during a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which registered around 22,100 area-degree days across land areas below 1,500 meters in elevation.
The early summer heat coincided with a sharp increase in heat-related fatalities. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety recorded 395 such deaths in June 2026, marking the highest June figure since the agency began tracking this data. Heat-associated mortality indicates deaths above the expected baseline during extreme temperature events. It does not necessarily mean heat was the sole cause listed on death certificates.
Intense drought intensifies challenges across Austria
Prior to the heatwave, Austria had experienced months of notably low rainfall. From January 1 to July 27, the total nationwide precipitation was about 426 millimeters, compared to the average of 609 millimeters for that period, creating a deficit close to 30%. Authorities described the first seven months of 2026 as the driest period since at least the early 20th century. Regions such as Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland faced some of the most significant rainfall shortages.
Persistent high pressure, intense sunshine, and minimal rainfall led to increased evaporation through late May, June, and July. These conditions reduced soil moisture and placed stress on crops, rivers, forests, and regional water resources. Austrian climate data indicate that heatwaves are now more frequent and tend to last longer than in previous decades. The average peak temperatures during these events have increased by about three degrees from the 1980s to the 2020s. The recent July record marks another milestone in Austria’s ongoing pattern of intensifying extreme heat.