WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria experienced its hottest July temperature on July 31, with Wieselburg hitting 40.3 degrees Celsius. This surpasses the previous July record of 39.7 degrees, set in Dellach im Drautal in 1983. GeoSphere Austria verified this new monthly high amid a heatwave predominantly affecting eastern regions of the country. Austria’s national temperature record remains 40.5 degrees, recorded at Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
The record-breaking July followed a June characterized by widespread, persistent extreme heat. According to GeoSphere Austria, new maximum temperatures for June were recorded at 157 of its 277 weather stations. Additionally, 66 stations registered their highest temperature ever for any month. On June 28, Vienna reached 40.0 degrees, and the next day Bad Deutsch-Altenburg recorded 40.1 degrees. Several low-lying areas experienced 10 to 14 consecutive days with temperatures above 30 degrees.
The Wegener Center at the University of Graz estimated that the combined socioeconomic impacts of the June and late July heatwaves amount to approximately €1.4 billion. This preliminary estimate encompasses health costs, productivity losses, agricultural damage, infrastructure pressures, and increased cooling demands. It also considers effects on ecosystems and public services. This figure does not constitute an official government assessment nor does it reflect insured losses; insurance data only covers claims under active policies.
The heatwave exceeds previous Austrian records
To measure the scale of these events, the Wegener Center used area-degree days, which combine the intensity, duration, and geographical extent of heat. The June heatwave was estimated at about 16,700 area-degree days, while the late July event ranges between 22,700 and 25,000. Austria’s prior record occurred during a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which totaled approximately 22,100 area-degree days across land below 1,500 meters elevation.
The extraordinary temperatures also resulted in a significant increase in heat-related deaths. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety reported an estimated 395 such fatalities in June 2026, marking the highest June total since the agency began tracking this metric. Heat-related mortality indicates deaths exceeding expected levels during periods of unusually high temperatures, without necessarily requiring heat to be the direct cause listed on death certificates.
Prolonged drought deepens across Austria due to lack of rainfall
Following months of unusually dry conditions, Austria confronted the heatwave with a significant rainfall deficit. From January 1 through July 27, the country received about 426 millimeters of rain, well below the long-term average of 609 millimeters for the same period, resulting in nearly 30% less rainfall. Authorities have described the first seven months of 2026 as the driest comparable period since at least the early 1900s. Regions such as Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland recorded some of the largest rainfall shortfalls.
Persistent high-pressure systems, intense sunshine, and limited precipitation boosted evaporation rates during late spring and summer, reducing soil moisture and exerting additional stress on crops, rivers, forests, and water reserves. Climate records indicate that heatwaves in Austria have become more frequent, prolonged, and intense over recent decades. The average maximum temperature during such events has increased by approximately three degrees between the 1980s and the 2020s. The new July temperature record serves as yet another indicator of Austria’s ongoing trend of rising extreme heat levels.