WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria recorded its highest temperature for July on July 31, with Wieselburg reaching 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 peak amid a heatwave concentrated in eastern regions of the country. The country’s all-time temperature record remains 40.5 degrees, measured at Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
This July milestone follows a June characterized by widespread and persistent extreme heat. According to GeoSphere Austria, 157 out of 277 monitored weather stations recorded new maximum temperatures for June. Additionally, 66 stations registered their highest temperature ever recorded for any month. Vienna hit 40.0 degrees on June 28, with Bad Deutsch-Altenburg hitting 40.1 degrees the next day. Multiple low-lying areas endured 10 to 14 consecutive days with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees.
The Wegener Center at the University of Graz estimated that combined economic and social losses from the June and late July heatwaves amount to approximately €1.4 billion. This preliminary estimate accounts for health impacts, productivity losses, agricultural damage, infrastructure stress, and increased cooling demands. It also considers effects on ecosystems and public services. This figure does not represent an official government total or insured loss estimate, as insurance data only captures claims covered under active policies.
Heatwave Severity Outstrips Previous Austrian Events
The Wegener Center assessed the heat events through area-degree days, which combine heat intensity, duration, and geographic extent. They calculated roughly 16,700 area-degree days for the June heatwave. The late July episode’s severity was estimated between 22,700 and 25,000. Austria’s former record was set during a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which reached around 22,100 area-degree days across land below 1,500 meters elevation.
This extreme heat 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, marking the highest June total since the agency’s records began. Heat-related mortality is based on deaths exceeding expected levels during unusually hot periods. It does not require heat to be listed as the sole cause on death certificates.
Rainfall Deficit Worsens National Drought Situation
Following months of unusually dry weather, Austria faced 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 this period, indicating a shortfall near 30%. Authorities described the first seven months of 2026 as the driest comparable period since records began in the early 1900s. Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland experienced some of the largest deficits in rainfall.
Persistent high-pressure systems, abundant sunshine, and limited rainfall increased evaporation rates during late spring and summer. These conditions led to reduced soil moisture and heightened stress on crops, rivers, forests, and water supplies. Climate records show that heatwaves in Austria have become more frequent, longer-lasting, and more intense over recent decades. The average maximum temperatures during heat events have risen by approximately three degrees from the 1980s to the 2020s. The new July temperature record adds another clear indicator of Austria’s rising trend of extreme heat.