WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria experienced its highest July temperature on July 31, with Wieselburg reaching 40.3 degrees Celsius. This temperature surpassed the previous July record of 39.7 degrees, which was set in Dellach im Drautal in 1983. GeoSphere Austria verified this new monthly peak during a heatwave that primarily affected eastern regions of the country. The nation’s all-time temperature record remains 40.5 degrees, recorded at Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
The milestone in July followed a June characterized by widespread and prolonged 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 recorded for any month. On June 28, Vienna hit 40.0 degrees, and Bad Deutsch-Altenburg reached 40.1 degrees the next day. Several 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 amounted to approximately €1.4 billion. This preliminary estimate accounts for health-related costs, productivity losses, agricultural damage, infrastructure stress, and increased cooling demands. It also considers the effects on ecosystems and public services. This figure does not represent a final government assessment nor the total insured losses, as insurance data only covers damages under active policies.
Heatwave intensity exceeds previous Austrian records
Researchers at the Wegener Center evaluated the events through area-degree days, a metric that combines heat intensity, duration, and geographic extent. The June heatwave registered about 16,700 area-degree days, while the late July event is estimated to have ranged between 22,700 and 25,000. Austria’s previous benchmark involved a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which accumulated roughly 22,100 area-degree days across areas below 1,500 meters elevation.
Extreme temperature spikes also correlated with a notable rise in heat-related fatalities. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated 395 such deaths in June 2026. This figure represents the highest June total since the agency started tracking these fatalities. Heat-related mortality indicates deaths that exceed normal expectations during periods of unusually high temperatures, without necessarily requiring heat to be listed as the direct cause on each death certificate.
Prolonged dry conditions intensify Austria’s drought status
Following months of unusually dry weather, Austria faced the heatwave with a significant rainfall deficit. From January 1 through July 27, the country received approximately 426 millimeters of rainfall, compared to a long-term average of 609 millimeters for the same period—a deficit close to 30%. Officials 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 reported some of the largest rainfall shortfalls.
Persistent high-pressure systems, intense sunshine, and limited precipitation increased evaporation rates during late spring and summer. These conditions drained soil moisture and exerted additional stress on crops, rivers, forests, and water resources. Climate records reveal that Austria’s heatwaves have become more frequent, longer, and more intense over recent decades. The average maximum temperatures during these events rose by roughly three degrees between the 1980s and the 2020s. The newly recorded July temperature further confirms Austria’s ongoing trend of rising extreme heat levels.