WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria experienced its highest temperature in July on the 31st, when Wieselburg in Lower Austria hit 40.3 degrees Celsius. This measurement surpassed the previous national July record of 39.7 degrees, set in Dellach im Drautal on July 27, 1983. GeoSphere Austria confirmed this new monthly peak as a severe heatwave intensified over eastern regions. The temperature did not reach Austria’s all-time high of 40.5 degrees, recorded in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
This July record followed an extraordinarily hot June that saw widespread temperature peaks across the country. GeoSphere Austria indicated that 157 out of its 277 weather stations set new maximum temperature records for June. Additionally, 66 stations recorded their highest temperature ever in any month. On June 28, Vienna reached 40.0 degrees, and the following day, Bad Deutsch-Altenburg hit 40.1 degrees, establishing a new Austrian June high. Many low-lying regions endured 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 socioeconomic damage. This figure is an initial broad estimate rather than a final government or insurance industry assessment. The calculation considers impacts on health, workforce productivity, infrastructure, agriculture, ecosystems, and cooling demands. Their analysis used a metric combining heat intensity, duration, and geographic extent, rather than relying solely on the highest temperature recorded at a single station.
National assessment quantifies heat intensity across Austria
The Wegener Center’s evaluation indicates roughly 16,700 area-degree days for the June heatwave. The recent assessment places the current episode between 22,700 and 25,000 area-degree days. The previous record was during a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which registered about 22,100 area-degree days. This metric measures the extent of temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius spreading across Austria and the duration of such conditions, including land at altitudes up to 1,500 meters above sea level.
Austria’s health authorities have also recorded significant human health impacts from 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 efforts. Heat-related mortality reflects deaths exceeding the expected baseline during extreme temperature periods, without requiring heat to be the sole medical cause on death certificates.
Intense heat worsens Austria’s ongoing drought
Since December 2025, the prolonged drought has deepened as a result of the recent heat. According to GeoSphere Austria, the country received 426 millimeters of rainfall from January 1 to July 27, compared to the climate average of 609 millimeters, creating a shortfall of roughly 30%. The agency noted that Austria had not experienced such low rainfall levels in the first seven months of a year since at least the early 20th century. Regions most impacted include Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland.
Extended periods of high-pressure systems, intense sunshine, and scarce rainfall have increased evaporation rates and decreased soil moisture during late May, June, and late July. These dry conditions have strained crops, rivers, forests, and water supplies across various areas. GeoSphere Austria highlighted that heatwaves are now more frequent, last longer, and reach higher temperatures than in previous decades. Its records show that average maximum temperatures during heatwaves have increased by about three degrees between the 1980s and the 2020s.