WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria experienced its highest July temperature on July 31, when Wieselburg in Lower Austria hit 40.3 degrees Celsius. This measurement surpassed the national July record of 39.7 degrees, set in Dellach im Drautal on July 27, 1983. GeoSphere Austria verified the new monthly peak as a severe heatwave intensified its hold on eastern parts of the country. The temperature stayed below Austria’s all-time record of 40.5 degrees, recorded in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
The July temperature record followed an intensely hot June, which brought widespread high temperatures across Austria. GeoSphere Austria reported that 157 of its 277 weather stations registered new June maximum temperatures. Sixty-six stations also recorded their highest temperature ever for any month. On June 28, Vienna reached 40.0 degrees, while Bad Deutsch-Altenburg hit 40.1 degrees the following day, establishing a new Austrian June high. Many low-lying regions experienced between 10 and 14 days in a row with temperatures above 30 degrees.
Researchers from the University of Graz’s Wegener Center estimate that the heatwaves in June and late July caused socioeconomic losses totaling approximately €1.4 billion. This figure is a preliminary broad estimate and does not represent a final government assessment or insurance payout total. Their analysis accounts for impacts on health, workforce productivity, infrastructure, agriculture, ecosystems, and cooling energy demand. Instead of relying solely on the peak temperature at a single station, the researchers used a metric that combines heat intensity, duration, and geographic extent to evaluate both heat episodes.
Scientists quantify heat intensity nationwide
The Wegener Center determined that the June heatwave generated approximately 16,700 area-degree days. Its latest evaluation places the current event between 22,700 and 25,000 area-degree days. The previous record occurred during a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which reached about 22,100 area-degree days. This metric measures the extent of temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius across Austria and how long those conditions persist, including land at elevations up to 1,500 meters above sea level.
Austria’s health authorities also report a significant human toll from the early summer heat. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated that 395 heat-related deaths occurred in June 2026, marking the highest June figure since the agency began its monitoring series. Heat-related mortality indicates deaths exceeding normal levels during periods of extreme temperatures, without necessarily requiring heat as the sole cause on death certificates.
Intense heat exacerbates Austria’s ongoing drought
The recent heat has intensified a drought that started in December 2025. GeoSphere Austria reported a total of 426 millimeters of rainfall nationwide from January 1 to July 27. The climate average for this period is 609 millimeters, resulting in a deficit of roughly 30%. The agency stated that Austria has not experienced such low rainfall during the first seven months of a year since at least the early 20th century. Regions most affected include Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland.
Prolonged high-pressure systems, abundant sunshine, and limited 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 resources across several areas. GeoSphere Austria noted that heatwaves are now more frequent, last longer, and reach higher temperatures than in past decades. Its records show that average maximum temperatures during these events increased by about three degrees between the 1980s and the 2020s.