WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria experienced its highest temperature for July on July 31, when Wieselburg in Lower Austria hit 40.3 degrees Celsius. This surpassed the previous national July record of 39.7 degrees, set in Dellach im Drautal on July 27, 1983. GeoSphere Austria confirmed the new monthly peak as a severe heatwave intensified over eastern regions. The temperature did not reach Austria’s all-time record of 40.5 degrees, measured in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
The July record was part of an extreme June marked by widespread temperature peaks across the country. GeoSphere Austria reported that 157 of its 277 weather stations set new maximum records for June. Additionally, 66 stations recorded their highest temperature ever for any month. Vienna hit 40.0 degrees on June 28, followed by Bad Deutsch-Altenburg at 40.1 degrees the next day. That set a new June high for Austria. Many low-lying areas endured 10 to 14 consecutive days above 30 degrees.
Researchers from the University of Graz’s Wegener Center estimate that the heatwaves in June and late July caused around €1.4 billion in socioeconomic damage. This figure is an initial broad estimate, not a final government or insurance total. It considers impacts on health, work productivity, infrastructure, agriculture, ecosystems, and cooling needs. The assessment used a metric that combines heat intensity, duration, and geographic extent, rather than relying only on the highest temperature recorded at a single station.
Scientists gauge nationwide heat intensity
The Wegener Center calculated about 16,700 area-degree days during the June heatwave. Its latest evaluation estimates the current episode between 22,700 and 25,000 area-degree days. The highest recorded value was during a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, reaching about 22,100 area-degree days. The metric measures how far temperatures above 30 degrees spread across Austria and how long such conditions persist. It includes land up to 1,500 meters above sea level.
Austria’s health authorities also report a significant human toll from the early summer heat. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated 395 heat-related deaths in June 2026. That marks the highest June total since the agency began its monitoring series. Heat-related mortality accounts for deaths above normal levels during extreme temperature periods. It does not require heat to be the sole cause listed on death certificates.
Intense heat worsens Austria’s ongoing drought
The heat has intensified a drought that started in December 2025. GeoSphere Austria reported 426 millimeters of nationwide rainfall from January 1 to July 27. The climate average for this period is 609 millimeters, leaving a deficit of roughly 30%. The agency stated Austria has not experienced such low rainfall in the first seven months of a year since at least the early 20th century. Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland are among the most affected regions.
Extended periods of high pressure, intense sunshine, and limited rainfall increased evaporation rates and decreased soil moisture during late May, June, and late July. These dry conditions have stressed crops, rivers, forests, and water supplies across several areas. GeoSphere Austria noted that heatwaves are now more frequent, last longer, and reach higher temperatures than in previous decades. Its records show average maximum temperatures during heatwaves have risen by about three degrees from the 1980s to the 2020s.