Austria Hits All-Time Heat Record of 41.2 Degrees in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg

Austria Records New All-Time High Temperature of 41.2 Degrees in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg

GeoSphere Austria reported that a total of 27 absolute station records were broken across the country on Wednesday. Temperatures reached or exceeded the 40-degree mark at six locations. Aside from Bad Deutsch-Altenburg and Wien-Stammersdorf, locations registering values above 40 degrees included Langenlebarn and Mistelbach at 40.4 degrees each, Wien-Innere Stadt at 40.2 degrees, and Laa an der Thaya at exactly 40.0 degrees. According to Nachrichten, GeoSphere Austria had issued a red heat warning for the country’s east and northeast for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Widespread Station Records and Unprecedented Consecutive 40-Degree Days

According to ORF, the country experienced three consecutive days of temperatures reaching 40 degrees and above—an unprecedented event in domestic measurement history. The sequence began Monday, August 3, with 40.1 degrees in Wien-Stammersdorf, followed by 41.0 degrees at the same station on Tuesday, and culminating in Wednesday’s 41.2 degrees in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg.

In addition to the top-tier extremes, numerous other GeoSphere stations established all-time location records at or above 39 degrees on Wednesday. These included Bad Vöslau and Mattersburg at 39.8 degrees, Wien-Hohe Warte and Gänserndorf at 39.7 degrees, Wolkersdorf and Wien-Donaufeld at 39.6 degrees, Wien-Unterlaa and Zwerndorf at 39.5 degrees, Wiener Neustadt at 39.4 degrees, Schwechat-Flughafen and Podersdorf at 39.2 degrees, and Groß-Enzersdorf at 39.1 degrees. In Hornstein, the temperature reached a daily high of 38.7 degrees after recording the warmest night in measurement history with a low of 28.5 degrees in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. Outside of Vienna, Lower Austria, and Burgenland, the highest temperature was recorded in St. Andrä im Lavanttal at 38.9 degrees.

Regional Temperatures Across Austria

High temperatures were also felt across the western provinces, though staying below the extremes of the northeast. In Styria, Hartberg reached a high of 38.0 degrees. Upper Austria recorded 37.4 degrees in both Weyer and Bad Goisern, while Linz saw temperatures reach 36.2 degrees. In western regions, Innsbruck-Universität reached 35.0 degrees in Tyrol, Freisaal reached 33.8 degrees in Salzburg, and Bludenz hit 33.3 degrees in Vorarlberg. The coolest location below 1,000 meters elevation was Schoppernau at 29.0 degrees, while the lowest temperature across all 279 GeoSphere stations was recorded at Brunnenkogel at 13.9 degrees.

Health Risks and Weather Outlook

The persistent heat brought elevated ozone concentrations, particularly in northeastern Austria, posing an increased health risk to children, the elderly, individuals with respiratory illnesses, and people engaging in physical activity outdoors. Looking ahead, the peak of the heatwave is expected to subside. While Thursday will begin with extreme heat in the east, cooling temperatures and rain showers are anticipated during the afternoon hours, accompanied by an increasing risk of thunderstorms ahead of an approaching cold front.