WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria set a new July temperature record on July 31 when Wieselburg hit 40.3 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous monthly high of 39.7 degrees from 1983 in Lower Austria. GeoSphere Austria verified this record amid a heatwave sweeping eastern Austria. The country’s all-time highest temperature for any month remains 40.5 degrees, recorded at Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
This July peak followed a notably hot June that saw widespread temperature records. GeoSphere Austria reported 157 of its 277 stations recorded new June maximums, with 66 stations hitting their all-time highest temperatures. Vienna recorded 40.0 degrees on June 28, and Bad Deutsch-Altenburg reached 40.1 degrees on June 29. Several regions at low altitude experienced between 10 and 14 consecutive days above 30 degrees.
The University of Graz’s Wegener Center estimated economic and social damages totaling around €1.4 billion due to the June and late July heatwaves. This initial estimate accounts for health impacts, lost productivity, agricultural losses, infrastructure stress, increased cooling needs, ecosystem damage, and strain on public services. It does not reflect an official government damage total or insurance claims value.
Heatwave intensity surpasses previous records
Using area-degree days as a measure of heat severity, duration, and spread, the Wegener Center calculated about 16,700 such days for the June event. Their assessment placed the late July heatwave between 22,700 and 25,000 area-degree days, exceeding Austria’s earlier benchmark from a 24-day July-August event in 2013, which reached approximately 22,100 across land below 1,500 meters elevation.
The extreme heat also led to a rise in heat-related fatalities. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated 395 heat-related deaths in June 2026, the highest June figure since tracking began. This figure compares observed deaths with expected numbers during heat periods and does not require heat to be listed as the sole cause on death certificates.
Drought intensifies the effects of record-breaking heat
Prior to this heatwave, Austria experienced months with below-average rainfall, with just about 426 millimeters of precipitation from January 1 to July 27—around 30% less than the average of 609 millimeters. Authorities called this the driest period since at least the early 20th century. Regions including Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland saw some of the largest deficits.
Persistent high-pressure systems, abundant sunshine, and minimal rainfall increased evaporation rates during late spring and summer. These conditions lowered soil moisture and negatively impacted crops, rivers, forests, and regional water supplies. Austrian climate records show that heatwaves are now more frequent, last longer, and reach higher temperatures than in earlier decades. The average maximum temperature during heatwaves has risen by approximately three degrees from the 1980s to the 2020s. The 40.3-degree July record marks a new milestone in Austria’s temperature history.