WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria experienced a new temperature peak for July on July 31, with Wieselburg reaching 40.3 degrees Celsius. This temperature surpassed the previous July record of 39.7 degrees from 1983 in Lower Austria. The record was confirmed by GeoSphere Austria amid a period of intense heat across eastern regions. The country’s highest temperature ever recorded in any month remains 40.5 degrees, measured at Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
The July temperature spike followed an unusually scorching June that set multiple national records. GeoSphere Austria reported that 157 of its 277 monitored stations registered new June maximums. An additional 66 stations recorded their highest temperature ever for any month. Vienna hit 40.0 degrees on June 28, while Bad Deutsch-Altenburg reached 40.1 degrees on June 29. Several low-altitude locations experienced between 10 and 14 days consecutively with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees.
Researchers from the University of Graz’s Wegener Center estimated economic damages of approximately €1.4 billion resulting from the June and late July heatwaves. This preliminary estimate accounts for health-related impacts, decreased labor productivity, agricultural losses, and pressure on infrastructure. It also includes increased cooling energy needs, ecosystem damage, and additional stress on public services. The figure does not reflect an official government damage assessment or insurance claim totals.
Heatwave measure surpasses previous record
Using area-degree days, a metric that captures heat intensity, duration, and geographic extent, the Wegener Center evaluated the heat events. They calculated approximately 16,700 area-degree days for the June heatwave. Their analysis suggests the late July episode ranged from 22,700 to 25,000. Austria’s former benchmark was a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which accumulated around 22,100 area-degree days across regions below 1,500 meters elevation.
The record-breaking temperatures also coincided with a significant rise in heat-related fatalities. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated 395 heat-associated deaths in June 2026. This marked the highest June figure since the agency began tracking this data. The calculation compares observed death rates with expected levels during extreme heat periods and does not require heat to be listed as the sole cause on death certificates.
Drought conditions intensify the effects of record heat
Austria’s recent heatwave followed months of below-average rainfall. From January 1 to July 27, the country received roughly 426 millimeters of precipitation, compared to the 609 millimeters average for that period, resulting in a shortfall of nearly 30%. Authorities identified the first seven months of 2026 as the driest comparable period since at least the early 20th century. Notably, Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland experienced some of the largest deficits.
Persistent high-pressure systems, intense sunshine, and limited rainfall increased evaporation during late spring and summer. These conditions led to decreased soil moisture and adversely affected crops, rivers, forests, and regional water supplies. Climate records show that heatwaves now tend to be more frequent, last longer, and reach higher temperatures than in previous decades. The average maximum temperature during heatwaves has risen by approximately three degrees from the 1980s to the 2020s. The 40.3-degree temperature reading sets a new July record for Austria’s temperature history.