Austria recorded its highest July temperature on July 31, when Wieselburg in Lower Austria reached 40.3 degrees Celsius. The reading broke the national July record of 39.7 degrees, set in Dellach im Drautal on July 27, 1983. Researchers at the University of Graz’s Wegener Center estimate the June and late July heatwaves caused around €1.4 billion in socioeconomic damage. The figure represents an initial broad estimate, not a final government assessment or an insured-loss total. Their calculation covers effects on health, labor productivity, infrastructure, agriculture, ecosystems and cooling demand. The researchers assessed both episodes using a metric that combines heat intensity, duration and geographic reach, rather than relying only on one station’s highest temperature.
