WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria saw its hottest July temperature on July 31, when Wieselburg in Lower Austria hit 40.3 degrees Celsius. This measurement broke the previous national July record of 39.7 degrees, set in Dellach im Drautal on July 27, 1983. GeoSphere Austria confirmed this new monthly high as a severe heatwave intensified its grip on the eastern regions. The temperature did not surpass Austria’s all-time record of 40.5 degrees, recorded in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
This July temperature record followed an intensely hot June, which saw widespread temperature peaks across the country. GeoSphere Austria reported that 157 of its 277 weather stations established new maximum temperatures for June. Additionally, 66 stations recorded their highest temperature ever for any month. Vienna reached 40.0 degrees on June 28, and Bad Deutsch-Altenburg hit 40.1 degrees the following day, setting a new high for Austria in June. Many lower-altitude regions experienced 10 to 14 consecutive days with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees.
Researchers from the University of Graz’s Wegener Center estimate that the heatwaves in June and late July caused around €1.4 billion in socioeconomic damages. This figure is an initial, broad estimate and not a definitive government or insurance-loss total. It accounts for impacts on health, work productivity, infrastructure, agriculture, ecosystems, and cooling needs. The assessment considered both heat episodes using a metric that combines intensity, duration, and geographic extent, rather than relying solely on the highest temperature recorded at a single station.
National analysis assesses heat intensity levels
The Wegener Center’s calculation for the June heatwave indicated approximately 16,700 area-degree days. Its latest assessment places the ongoing episode between 22,700 and 25,000 area-degree days. In comparison, a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013 reached about 22,100 area-degree days. This metric measures how extensively temperatures above 30 degrees are distributed across Austria and how long such conditions persist. The calculation includes land at elevations up to 1,500 meters above sea level.
Austria’s health authorities have also documented significant human health impacts 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 total since the agency began its monitoring series. Heat-related mortality refers to deaths exceeding expected levels during periods of extreme temperatures. These deaths do not necessarily have heat as the sole medical cause listed on death certificates.
Intense heat worsens Austria’s ongoing drought
The heat has exacerbated a drought that started in December 2025. According to GeoSphere Austria, the country received 426 millimeters of rainfall from January 1 through July 27, compared to the climate average of 609 millimeters for that period, resulting in a deficit of roughly 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. Regions including Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland are among the most affected.
Extended periods of high pressure systems, abundant sunshine, and scarce rainfall increased evaporation and reduced soil moisture during late May, June, and late July. These dry conditions have placed stress on crops, rivers, forests, and water supplies across various regions. GeoSphere Austria highlighted that heatwaves are now more frequent, last longer, and reach higher temperatures than in previous decades. Its records show that average maximum temperatures during heatwaves have risen by about three degrees between the 1980s and the 2020s.