WIESELBURG, AUSTRIA / RankWire.AI / – Austria set a new temperature record for July on July 31 when Wieselburg reached 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 amid a wave of intense heat across eastern Austria. The country’s all-time highest temperature for any month remains 40.5 degrees, recorded at Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in August 2013.
The July temperature peak followed an exceptionally hot June, which saw widespread temperature records broken. GeoSphere Austria reported that 157 out of its 277 monitoring stations recorded new June maximums. An additional 66 stations marked their highest temperature ever recorded in any month. Vienna reached 40.0 degrees on June 28, while Bad Deutsch-Altenburg hit 40.1 degrees on June 29. Several low-altitude regions experienced between 10 and 14 days consecutively with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees.
Researchers from the University of Graz’s Wegener Center estimated the socioeconomic damage from the heatwaves in June and late July at approximately €1.4 billion. This initial estimate includes health impacts, lost labor productivity, agricultural damages, and strain on infrastructure. It also encompasses increased cooling energy demand, ecosystem damage, and additional pressure on public services. The total does not represent an official government damage assessment or insurance claim values.
Heatwave measurement surpasses previous record
The Wegener Center used area-degree days, a metric reflecting the intensity, duration, and geographic extent of heat, to evaluate the events. Their calculations indicate roughly 16,700 area-degree days for the June heatwave. The late July event was estimated to fall between 22,700 and 25,000. Austria’s previous benchmark was set by a 24-day heatwave in July and August 2013, which accumulated approximately 22,100 area-degree days across land below 1,500 meters in elevation.
This extreme heat coincided with a significant rise in heat-related mortality. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety estimated 395 heat-related deaths in June 2026. It represented the highest June figure since the agency began tracking this measure. The estimate compares recorded deaths with expected levels during periods of intense heat and does not necessarily imply heat was the sole cause listed on death certificates.
Drought worsens the effects of unprecedented heat
Prior to this heatwave, Austria experienced months with limited rainfall. From January 1 through July 27, the country received approximately 426 millimeters of precipitation, compared to the 609-millimeter average for this period, resulting in 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 recording some of the most significant deficits.
Persistent high-pressure systems, intense sunshine, and scarce rainfall increased evaporation rates throughout late spring and summer. These conditions reduced soil moisture and adversely affected crops, rivers, forests, and regional water sources. Austrian climate records show that heatwaves are now more frequent, last longer, and reach higher temperatures than in previous decades. Between the 1980s and the 2020s, average maximum temperatures during heat events have increased by approximately three degrees. The 40.3-degree measurement sets a new July record in Austria’s temperature history.