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 measurement surpassed the previous national July record of 39.7 degrees, which was set in Dellach im Drautal on July 27, 1983. The confirmation came from GeoSphere Austria as a severe heatwave intensified its hold over eastern regions. The temperature stayed below Austria’s all-time record of 40.5 degrees, recorded in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
This July temperature record followed a notably extreme June, marked by widespread high temperatures across the country. GeoSphere Austria reported that 157 of its 277 weather stations recorded new June maximums, with 66 stations also noting their highest temperature ever for any month. On June 28, Vienna reached 40.0 degrees, and the following day Bad Deutsch-Altenburg hit 40.1 degrees—setting a new high for Austria in June. Numerous low-altitude regions experienced temperatures exceeding 30 degrees for 10 to 14 days straight.
Researchers from the University of Graz’s Wegener Center have estimated that the combined heatwaves of June and late July caused approximately €1.4 billion in socioeconomic damages. This initial estimate is broad and does not constitute a final government assessment or an insured-loss figure. It includes impacts on health, workforce productivity, infrastructure, agriculture, ecosystems, and cooling energy demand. The evaluation considered both episodes using a metric that accounts for heat intensity, duration, and geographic extent, rather than solely relying on the highest temperature recorded at a single station.
National-scale assessment of heat intensity conducted by researchers
The Wegener Center’s calculations indicate roughly 16,700 area-degree days during the June heatwave. Its most recent assessment estimates that the current heat event ranges 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. The metric measures the spatial distribution of temperatures above 30 degrees across Austria and the length of these conditions. It encompasses regions up to 1,500 meters above sea level.
The Austrian health authorities have also documented significant human impacts stemming from the early summer heat. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety reported 395 heat-related deaths in June 2026, the highest June total since their monitoring began. Heat-related mortality accounts for deaths exceeding normal expectations during extreme temperature periods. Importantly, this does not require heat to be the sole medical cause listed on death certificates.
Intense heat aggravates ongoing drought conditions in Austria
The ongoing drought, initiated in December 2025, has been intensified by recent heat. According to GeoSphere Austria, the country received only 426 millimeters of rainfall from January 1 to July 27, compared to a climate average of 609 millimeters for the same period—creating a deficit of about 30%. The agency noted that Austria had not experienced such low rainfall during the first seven months of a year since at least the early 20th century. Areas including Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland are among the most impacted.
Extended spells of high pressure, intense sunshine, and minimal rainfall during late May, June, and late July have driven up evaporation rates and diminished soil moisture. These dry conditions have exerted stress on crops, water bodies, forests, and water supplies across various regions. GeoSphere Austria emphasized that heatwaves are now more frequent, last longer, and reach higher temperatures than in previous decades. Data indicates that the average maximum temperatures during heatwaves have risen by about three degrees from the 1980s to the 2020s.