WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria set a new temperature record for July on July 31, with Wieselburg reaching 40.3 degrees Celsius. This measurement surpassed the previous July high of 39.7 degrees from 1983 in Lower Austria. The record was confirmed by GeoSphere Austria amid a period of intense heat affecting eastern Austria. The highest temperature ever recorded in Austria for any month remains 40.5 degrees, measured at Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
The July temperature peak followed an exceptionally hot June that saw widespread temperature records. GeoSphere Austria reported that 157 out of its 277 monitored stations registered new maximum temperatures for June. Additionally, 66 stations recorded their highest temperature ever in any month. Vienna experienced 40.0 degrees on June 28, while Bad Deutsch-Altenburg hit 40.1 degrees on June 29. Several low-altitude regions endured between 10 and 14 consecutive days above 30 degrees.
Researchers from the University of Graz’s Wegener Center estimated socioeconomic damages totaling approximately €1.4 billion stemming from the June and late July heatwaves. This preliminary figure encompasses health impacts, decreased labor productivity, agricultural losses, and pressure on infrastructure. It also accounts for increased cooling needs, ecosystem damage, and added demand on public services. However, this estimate does not reflect an official government damage total or insurance claim valuations.
Heatwave intensity surpasses previous records
The Wegener Center evaluated the heat events using area-degree days, a metric that measures heat intensity, duration, and geographic extent. The June heatwave registered approximately 16,700 area-degree days. In comparison, the late July event ranged between 22,700 and 25,000. Austria’s prior record was set during a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which accumulated about 22,100 area-degree days across land below 1,500 meters elevation.
These extreme temperatures also correlated with a notable rise in heat-related mortality. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated 395 heat-related deaths in June 2026, marking the highest June figure since the agency began tracking this metric. The figure compares the actual number of deaths to expected levels during intense heat periods and does not require heat to be listed as the sole cause on each death certificate.
Drought conditions worsened the impact of the record heat
Prior to the recent heatwave, Austria experienced several months of below-average rainfall, with about 426 millimeters of precipitation recorded from January 1 through July 27. The historical average for this period is 609 millimeters, indicating a shortfall of nearly 30%. Authorities described the first seven months of 2026 as the driest comparable period since at least the early 20th century, with Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland among regions with the most significant deficits.
Persistent high-pressure systems, abundant sunshine, and limited rainfall increased evaporation rates during late spring and summer. These conditions lowered soil moisture levels and adversely affected crops, rivers, forests, and regional water supplies. Climate records in Austria show that heatwaves are now more frequent, longer-lasting, and hotter than in previous decades. Between the 1980s and the 2020s, average maximum temperatures during heatwaves have increased by about three degrees. The 40.3-degree reading establishes a new July temperature record in Austria’s documented climate history.