WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria experienced its highest July temperature on July 31, with Wieselburg reaching 40.3 degrees Celsius. This surpassed the former July record of 39.7 degrees, set in Dellach im Drautal in 1983. GeoSphere Austria verified the new monthly peak amidst a heatwave centered on eastern regions of the country. The country’s all-time temperature record remains 40.5 degrees, recorded at Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
This July milestone followed a June characterized by widespread and persistent extreme heat. According to GeoSphere Austria, 157 of its 277 weather stations recorded new maximum temperatures in June. Additionally, 66 stations documented their highest temperature ever for any month. On June 28, Vienna hit 40.0 degrees, and the next day Bad Deutsch-Altenburg registered 40.1 degrees. Several low-lying areas experienced 10 to 14 consecutive days with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees.
The Wegener Center at the University of Graz estimated that the combined socioeconomic impact of the heatwaves in June and late July totals approximately €1.4 billion. This preliminary figure accounts for health effects, lost productivity, agricultural damages, infrastructure stress, and increased cooling demands. It also factors in ecosystem and public service disruptions. This estimate does not constitute an official government assessment nor does it reflect insured damages, as insurance data only covers claims under active policies.
The heatwave exceeds previous Austrian extreme temperature events
Researchers at the Wegener Center measured the extent of the heat events using area-degree days, which combine factors of heat intensity, duration, and geographic coverage. They calculated around 16,700 area-degree days for the June heatwave. The assessment placed the late July event between 22,700 and 25,000 area-degree days. Austria’s former record was set during a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which reached approximately 22,100 area-degree days across land below 1,500 meters elevation.
The extreme heat also coincided with a notable rise in heat-related fatalities. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated 395 deaths linked to heat in June 2026. This figure marked the highest June total since the agency began tracking such data. Heat-related mortality refers to deaths exceeding expected levels during periods of unusually high temperatures, without requiring heat to be the sole cause listed on death certificates.
Deeper rainfall deficits worsen drought conditions nationwide
Austria faced the heatwave following several months of notably dry weather. From January 1 through July 27, the country received about 426 millimeters of rainfall, compared to the long-term average of 609 millimeters for the same period, indicating a shortfall of nearly 30%. Authorities described the first seven months of 2026 as the driest comparable period since at least the early 1900s. Some of the most significant rainfall deficits were recorded in Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland.
Persistent high-pressure systems, intense sunlight, and scarce precipitation heightened evaporation during late spring and summer. These conditions depleted soil moisture levels and intensified stress on crops, rivers, forests, and water supplies. Climate records in Austria reveal that heatwaves have become more frequent, prolonged, and intense over recent decades. During heatwaves, average maximum temperatures have increased by approximately three degrees between the 1980s and the 2020s. The record set in July serves as yet another concrete indicator of Austria’s escalating extreme heat trend.