WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria experienced its hottest July day on July 31, with Wieselburg in Lower Austria hitting 40.3 degrees Celsius. This temperature surpassed the previous national July record of 39.7 degrees, set in Dellach im Drautal on July 27, 1983. GeoSphere Austria confirmed the new monthly record as a severe heatwave intensified over eastern parts of the country. The temperature did not reach Austria’s all-time high of 40.5 degrees, recorded in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
Following an extremely hot June, which saw widespread temperature peaks across Austria, the July record was established. GeoSphere Austria noted that 157 of its 277 weather stations set new maximum temperature records for June. Additionally, 66 stations recorded their highest temperature for any month. Vienna hit 40.0 degrees on June 28, and the next day, Bad Deutsch-Altenburg registered 40.1 degrees, marking a new Austrian June high. Many lower-lying regions endured between 10 and 14 consecutive days above 30 degrees.
Researchers from the University of Graz’s Wegener Center estimate that the heatwaves in June and late July caused approximately €1.4 billion in socioeconomic damage. This figure is an initial broad estimate, not an official government assessment or an insured-loss total. It considers impacts on health, workforce productivity, infrastructure, agriculture, ecosystems, and cooling requirements. The scientists evaluated both heat events using a metric that incorporates heat intensity, duration, and geographic extent, rather than relying solely on the highest temperature recorded at a single station.
Researchers quantify nationwide heat severity
The Wegener Center estimated roughly 16,700 area-degree days for the June heatwave. Its latest evaluation places the ongoing heat episode between 22,700 and 25,000 area-degree days. The highest benchmark was during a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which reached about 22,100 area-degree days. This metric measures how far temperatures above 30 degrees extend across Austria and the duration of those conditions. The calculation includes land at elevations up to 1,500 meters above sea level.
Austria’s health authorities have also recorded a significant human toll linked to early summer heat. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated 395 heat-related deaths in June 2026. This was the highest June death toll since the agency began its monitoring series. Heat-related mortality indicates deaths exceeding expected levels during periods of extreme temperatures. It does not require heat to be the sole medical cause listed on death certificates.
Extreme temperatures intensify Austria’s ongoing drought
The prolonged drought, which started in December 2025, has been worsened by recent heat. GeoSphere Austria reported a total of 426 millimeters of rainfall nationwide from January 1 through July 27. The climate average for this period is 609 millimeters, resulting in a deficit of approximately 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. Areas such as Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland are among the most affected.
Prolonged high-pressure systems, intense sunshine, and scarce rainfall increased evaporation rates and decreased soil moisture during late May, June, and late July. These dry conditions have exerted pressure on crops, rivers, forests, and water supplies in various regions. According to GeoSphere Austria, heatwaves are now more frequent, last longer, and reach higher temperatures than in previous decades. Its records indicate that average maximum temperatures during heatwaves increased by about three degrees from the 1980s to the 2020s.