WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria experienced a new temperature peak for July on July 31 as severe heat affected the eastern regions. A weather station located in Wieselburg, Lower Austria, recorded a high of 40.3 degrees Celsius. This surpassed the previous July record of 39.7 degrees, set in Dellach im Drautal in 1983. GeoSphere Austria verified this monthly record. The temperature stayed below Austria’s all-time national high of 40.5 degrees, which was documented in August 2013.
This latest temperature milestone follows an exceptionally hot June across much of Austria. Out of 277 weather stations monitored, 157 reported new maximum temperatures for June. An additional 66 stations recorded their highest temperature ever for any month. On June 28, Vienna hit 40.0 degrees, while Bad Deutsch-Altenburg reached 40.1 degrees the following day. Many regions at lower altitudes also experienced between 10 and 14 consecutive days with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees.
Researchers from the University of Graz’s Wegener Center estimate that the heatwaves in June and late July resulted in roughly €1.4 billion in socioeconomic losses. Their assessment encompasses health impacts, decreased labor productivity, agricultural damages, infrastructure stress, and increased cooling demands. It also considers ecological strain and pressure on public services. This figure does not constitute an official government damage assessment, nor does it reflect insured-loss figures, which account solely for claims covered by insurance policies.
Intensity of heat surpasses previous national record
The study evaluated both heatwaves through the metric of area-degree days, which combines temperature, duration, and geographic spread. The June event accumulated approximately 16,700 area-degree days. The late July heatwave is estimated to have ranged between 22,700 and 25,000. Austria’s prior record originated from a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which registered about 22,100 area-degree days across land areas below 1,500 meters in elevation.
The early summer heat also coincided with a notable rise in deaths linked to high temperatures. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety reported 395 heat-related deaths in June 2026, marking the highest June figure since the agency began tracking this data. Heat-associated mortality indicates deaths exceeding normal levels during extreme temperature periods and does not require heat to be the sole cause listed on death certificates.
Severe drought compounds stress across Austria
Austria’s heatwave followed months of unusually low rainfall. From January 1 to July 27, nationwide precipitation totaled around 426 millimeters, well below the average of 609 millimeters for the same period, resulting in a deficit of nearly 30%. Authorities have described the first seven months of 2026 as the driest such period since at least the early 20th century. Regions including Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland experienced some of the most significant rainfall shortages.
High pressure systems, intense sunlight, and scarce rain have driven evaporation rates higher during late May, June, and July. These conditions led to reduced soil moisture and placed considerable stress on crops, rivers, forests, and regional water supplies. Climate records in Austria indicate that heatwaves are becoming more frequent and prolonged. The average peak temperatures during these events have increased by about three degrees from the 1980s to the 2020s. The recent record in July highlights a pattern of intensifying extreme heat in Austria.