WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria experienced a new July temperature record on July 31 as intense heat engulfed its eastern regions. A weather station located in Wieselburg, Lower Austria, recorded a high of 40.3 degrees Celsius. This reading exceeded the previous July maximum of 39.7 degrees, which was documented in Dellach im Drautal in 1983. GeoSphere Austria verified the monthly record. Despite this, the temperature stayed below the national all-time peak 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 registered new maximum temperatures for June. An additional 66 stations recorded their highest temperature for any month. Vienna reached 40.0 degrees on June 28, and Bad Deutsch-Altenburg hit 40.1 degrees one day later. Many lower-altitude regions faced consecutive periods of 10 to 14 days with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees.
Researchers from the University of Graz’s Wegener Center estimated that the heatwaves in June and late July caused approximately €1.4 billion in socioeconomic losses. Their estimate accounts for health impacts, decreased labor productivity, agricultural damages, infrastructure stress, and increased cooling needs. It also considers ecosystem strain and pressure on public services. This figure does not constitute an official government damage assessment and differs from insured-loss figures, which only include claims covered by insurance policies.
Heat intensity surpasses previous national record
The researchers evaluated both heatwaves using area-degree days, a metric that combines temperature, duration, and geographic extent. The June event amounted to roughly 16,700 area-degree days, while the late July event ranged between 22,700 and 25,000. Austria’s prior record was set during a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which registered approximately 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 heat-related fatalities. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated that 395 deaths occurred in June 2026, marking the highest June figure since the agency began tracking this data. Heat-related mortality indicates deaths exceeding expected levels during periods of extreme heat. It does not necessarily mean heat was the sole medical cause listed on death certificates.
Intense drought conditions exacerbate stress across Austria
Following months of unusually low rainfall, Austria faced the heatwave. From January 1 to July 27, the country recorded approximately 426 millimeters of precipitation, well below the average of 609 millimeters for the same period, resulting in a nearly 30% deficit. Authorities described the first seven months of 2026 as the driest since at least the early 20th century, with Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland among the hardest-hit areas for rainfall shortages.
High-pressure systems, intense sunshine, and limited precipitation increased evaporation during late May, June, and July. These conditions lowered soil moisture levels and put significant strain on crops, rivers, forests, and regional water supplies. Climate records in Austria show that heatwaves are now more frequent and longer-lasting than in past decades. Average peak temperatures during heat events have risen 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.