WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria experienced a new temperature peak for July on July 31, when Wieselburg hit 40.3 degrees Celsius. This surpassed the previous July record of 39.7 degrees from 1983 in Lower Austria. The GeoSphere Austria organization verified this record amid a heatwave across eastern Austria. The country’s all-time highest temperature for any month remains 40.5 degrees, recorded at Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
This July temperature record followed an exceptionally hot June that set multiple heat records across the region. GeoSphere Austria reported that 157 of its 277 observation stations recorded new maximum temperatures for June, with an additional 66 stations reaching their highest monthly temperature ever. On June 28, Vienna hit 40.0 degrees, and Bad Deutsch-Altenburg reached 40.1 degrees on June 29. Several lower-altitude areas experienced between 10 and 14 consecutive days with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees.
The Wegener Center at the University of Graz estimated the economic and social damage caused by the June and late July heatwaves at approximately €1.4 billion. This estimate includes health impacts, reduced labor productivity, agricultural losses, and strain on infrastructure. It also accounts for increased cooling needs, ecosystem damage, and pressure on public services. This figure does not constitute a final government damage estimate or include insurance claim values.
Heatwave intensity surpasses previous record
Using area-degree days, which measure the severity, duration, and geographic extent of heat, the Wegener Center assessed the events. The June heatwave registered approximately 16,700 area-degree days. The late July heatwave was estimated to have ranged between 22,700 and 25,000. Austria’s former record was set during a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which accumulated around 22,100 area-degree days across land below 1,500 meters elevation.
These extreme temperatures also correlated with a notable rise in heat-related fatalities. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated that 395 deaths in June 2026 were linked to heat. This represented the highest June death toll since the agency started monitoring this data. The calculation compares actual recorded deaths with expected levels during extreme heat periods, without requiring heat to be listed as the sole cause of death on certificates.
Drought conditions intensify the effects of record-breaking heat
Austria faced this recent heatwave after months of below-average rainfall, with about 426 millimeters of precipitation recorded from January 1 through July 27. The average for this period is 609 millimeters, indicating a shortfall of roughly 30%. Authorities described the first seven months of 2026 as the driest comparable period since at least the early 20th century. Regions such as Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland experienced some of the most significant deficits.
Persistent high-pressure systems, abundant sunshine, and limited rainfall increased evaporation rates during late spring and summer. This led to decreased soil moisture, affecting crops, rivers, forests, and regional water supplies. Climate records in Austria show that heatwaves are now more frequent, last longer, and reach higher temperatures than in previous decades. Between the 1980s and the 2020s, average maximum temperatures during heatwaves have risen by approximately three degrees. The 40.3-degree record marks a new July high within Austria’s documented temperature history.