WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria set a new July temperature record on July 31 as extreme heat swept across eastern regions. A weather station in Wieselburg, Lower Austria, recorded 40.3 degrees Celsius, exceeding the previous July high of 39.7 degrees, which was documented in Dellach im Drautal in 1983. GeoSphere Austria verified the monthly record, though the temperature stayed below the national all-time high of 40.5 degrees, set in August 2013.
This new record followed a notably hot June across much of Austria. Out of 277 monitored weather stations, 157 reported new maximum temperatures for June, while 66 registered their highest temperature ever recorded in any month. Vienna hit 40.0 degrees on June 28, and Bad Deutsch-Altenburg reached 40.1 degrees the following day. Many lower-altitude 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 resulted in approximately €1.4 billion in socioeconomic damages. This figure encompasses health impacts, decreased labor productivity, agricultural losses, infrastructure stress, and increased cooling demand, alongside strain on ecosystems and public services. It is important to note that this estimate does not constitute an official government damage assessment and is separate from insurance claim-based loss data.
Heat intensity surpasses previous national record
Using area-degree days, which combine the factors of temperature, duration, and geographic extent, the researchers evaluated the heatwaves. The June event totaled about 16,700 area-degree days, while the late July episode ranged between 22,700 and 25,000. Austria’s former benchmark was a 24-day heatwave during July and August 2013, which registered roughly 22,100 area-degree days across land areas below 1,500 meters in elevation.
The early summer heatwave also coincided with a sharp increase in heat-related deaths. According to the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, there were 395 such deaths in June 2026, marking the highest June figure since the agency began tracking this data. Heat-related mortality reflects deaths above expected levels during periods of extreme heat, but does not require heat to be the sole medical cause listed on death certificates.
Persistent drought worsens conditions across Austria
Following months of unusually low rainfall, Austria entered the heatwave with a significant deficit in precipitation. From January 1 through July 27, total nationwide rainfall was approximately 426 millimeters, well below the average of 609 millimeters for that period, resulting in nearly a 30% deficit. Authorities described the first seven months of 2026 as the driest such period since at least the early 20th century, with areas like Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland among the most affected by rainfall shortages.
Intense sunshine, high pressure systems, and limited precipitation increased evaporation rates through late May, June, and July. These conditions diminished soil moisture and put considerable stress on crops, rivers, forests, and regional water resources. Climate records indicate that heatwaves are now more frequent and longer-lasting than in previous decades, with average peak temperatures during these events rising by about three degrees since the 1980s. Austria’s latest July record marks yet another milestone in the country’s documented trend of intensifying extreme heat.