WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria recorded its highest temperature for July on July 31 when Wieselburg hit 40.3 degrees Celsius. This surpassed the previous July record of 39.7 degrees, set in Dellach im Drautal in 1983. GeoSphere Austria verified the new monthly peak during a heatwave centered in eastern parts of the country. The country’s all-time temperature record remains 40.5 degrees, measured at Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
The July temperature milestone followed a June characterized by widespread and persistent extreme heat. According to GeoSphere Austria, 157 out of its 277 weather stations recorded new maximum temperatures for June. Additionally, 66 stations logged their highest temperature ever recorded for any month. Vienna experienced 40.0 degrees on June 28, while Bad Deutsch-Altenburg recorded 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 total socioeconomic damages of approximately €1.4 billion from the heatwaves in June and late July. This preliminary estimate covers health impacts, reduced productivity, agricultural damage, infrastructure strain, and increased cooling demand. It also accounts for effects on ecosystems and public services. The figure does not constitute an official government assessment nor an insured-loss total, as insurance data only reflects damage covered under active policies.
Heatwave intensity surpasses previous Austrian records
The Wegener Center quantified the events by calculating area-degree days, which incorporate heat intensity, duration, and geographic spread. The June heatwave was estimated to have produced around 16,700 area-degree days. The late July event was assessed to fall between 22,700 and 25,000. Austria’s prior benchmark was during a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which reached approximately 22,100 area-degree days across land below 1,500 meters in elevation.
Along with the extreme temperatures, there was a notable rise in heat-related fatalities. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated 395 such deaths in June 2026, marking the highest June total since the agency began tracking this measure. Heat-related mortality refers to deaths that exceed the expected number during periods of unusually high temperatures. This calculation does not require heat to be listed as the sole cause on death certificates.
Prolonged drought worsens Austria’s water shortages
Following months of notably dry conditions, Austria faced the heatwave with already depleted water reserves. From January 1 to July 27, the country recorded approximately 426 millimeters of rainfall, significantly below the long-term average of 609 millimeters for that period—a shortfall of nearly 30%. Authorities described the first seven months of 2026 as the driest comparable span since at least the early 1900s. Notably, Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland experienced some of the largest rainfall deficits nationwide.
Persistent high-pressure systems, intense sunshine, and minimal rainfall amplified evaporation during late spring and summer. These conditions diminished soil moisture and exerted additional stress on crops, rivers, forests, and water sources. Climate data in Austria indicates that heatwaves have become more frequent, longer-lasting, and more intense in recent decades. Average maximum temperatures during these events increased by roughly three degrees from the 1980s to the 2020s. The newly set July record further underscores Austria’s ongoing trend of rising extreme heat levels.