WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria set a new temperature record for July on July 31, when Wieselburg recorded 40.3 degrees Celsius. This measurement surpassed the previous July high of 39.7 degrees from 1983 in Lower Austria. The record was verified by GeoSphere Austria amidst a heatwave affecting eastern Austria. The country’s highest temperature ever recorded in any month remains 40.5 degrees, observed at Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
In June, Austria experienced an exceptionally hot month that shattered numerous temperature records nationwide. GeoSphere Austria reported that 157 out of its 277 monitored stations reached new maximum temperatures for June, while 66 locations registered their highest temperature ever for any month. On June 28, Vienna hit 40.0 degrees, and on June 29, Bad Deutsch-Altenburg hit 40.1 degrees. Several regions at lower elevations endured between 10 and 14 days consecutively with temperatures above 30 degrees.
A study conducted by researchers at the University of Graz’s Wegener Center estimates that the combined June and late July heatwaves caused approximately €1.4 billion in socioeconomic damages. This preliminary estimate encompasses health impacts, reduced labor productivity, damage to agriculture, and infrastructure pressure. It also accounts for increased cooling needs, ecosystem degradation, and additional stress on public services. The figure does not represent an official government damage tally nor insurance claim totals.
Record-breaking heatwave measure surpasses previous record
Using area-degree days—a metric indicating heat intensity, duration, and geographic spread—the Wegener Center evaluated the events. They calculated approximately 16,700 area-degree days for the June heatwave, while the late July episode ranged between 22,700 and 25,000. Austria’s former benchmark was a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which reached roughly 22,100 area-degree days across land below 1,500 meters elevation.
The record-breaking temperatures also correlated with a notable rise in heat-related fatalities. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated that 395 deaths in June 2026 could be linked to heat. This was the highest June death toll since the agency began tracking such data. The calculation compares actual death figures with expected levels during extreme heat periods, without requiring heat to be listed as the sole cause on death certificates.
Extended drought worsens the effects of record heat
Prior to the latest heatwave, Austria had experienced months with below-average rainfall. From January 1 to July 27, total precipitation was around 426 millimeters, well below the 609 millimeters typical for that period, creating a deficit of about 30%. Authorities noted that the first seven months of 2026 represented the driest comparable period since at least the early 20th century. Areas such as Lower Austria, Vienna, and northern Burgenland faced some of the largest precipitation shortfalls.
Persistent high-pressure systems, abundant sunshine, and limited rainfall significantly increased evaporation during late spring and summer months. These conditions reduced soil moisture levels and negatively impacted agriculture, rivers, forests, and regional water supplies. Climate data shows that heatwaves now occur more frequently, last longer, and reach higher maximum temperatures than in previous decades. Between the 1980s and the 2020s, average maximum temperatures during heatwaves rose by approximately three degrees. The 40.3-degree July reading marks a new high for Austria’s temperature records in July.