WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria experienced its highest temperature in July on the 31st, when Wieselburg in Lower Austria recorded 40.3 degrees Celsius. This measurement surpassed the previous national July high of 39.7 degrees, set in Dellach im Drautal on July 27, 1983. The new monthly temperature record was confirmed by GeoSphere Austria amid a severe heatwave intensifying over eastern regions. Austria’s all-time temperature record of 40.5 degrees, measured in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013, remains unbroken, with the current temperatures remaining below that threshold.
This July temperature peak followed an intense June marked by widespread high temperatures throughout the country. GeoSphere Austria reported that 157 out of its 277 weather stations set new records for maximum temperatures in June. Additionally, 66 stations recorded their highest temperatures for any month. Vienna reached 40.0 degrees on June 28, and Bad Deutsch-Altenburg hit 40.1 degrees the following day, establishing a new Austrian June record. Many low-altitude areas 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 caused approximately €1.4 billion in socio-economic damage. This figure is an initial broad estimate, not an official government or insurance loss total. The assessment considers impacts on health, labor efficiency, infrastructure, agriculture, ecosystems, and cooling demand. Instead of relying solely on the highest temperature recorded at a single station, the scientists used a metric that combines heat intensity, duration, and geographic extent to analyze both heat events.
National assessment quantifies heat intensity
The Wegener Center determined approximately 16,700 area-degree days during the June heatwave, while its recent analysis places the current episode between 22,700 and 25,000 area-degree days. The previous benchmark was set during a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which reached about 22,100 area-degree days. This metric measures how far temperatures above 30 degrees spread across Austria and how long such conditions persist. The calculations include land at elevations up to 1,500 meters above sea level.
Austria’s health authorities have also reported a significant human toll linked to the early summer heat. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated 395 heat-related deaths in June 2026, marking the highest June total since the agency began its monitoring series. Heat-associated mortality accounts for deaths exceeding expected levels during periods of extreme temperatures, without requiring heat to be the sole medical cause listed on death certificates.
Intense heat prolongs Austria’s ongoing drought
The ongoing drought, which started in December 2025, has worsened under the influence of the recent heat. According to GeoSphere Austria, the country received only 426 millimeters of rainfall from January 1 through July 27, well below the climate average of 609 millimeters for that period, resulting in a deficit of about 30%. The agency noted that Austria has not experienced such low rainfall during the first seven months of a year since at least the early 20th century. The most affected regions include Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland.
Persistent high-pressure systems, intense sunshine, and limited rainfall during late May, June, and late July led to increased evaporation and reduced soil moisture. These dry conditions have exerted pressure on crops, rivers, forests, and water sources across several areas. GeoSphere Austria observed that heatwaves are becoming more frequent, longer-lasting, and hotter than in previous decades. Its records indicate that average maximum temperatures during heatwaves have risen by about three degrees from the 1980s to the 2020s.