Austria Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, and Innsbruck
Summary
Austria experienced its 3rd warmest May to July on record, capping off an intense summer heatwave sequence that drove local temperatures above 40°C and triggered severe agricultural drought. The extreme heat strained power networks and accelerated Alpine glacier melt, keeping the country well above long-term climate norms as conditions are expected to remain hotter than average into autumn.
This month in numbers
July 2026 delivered an average temperature of 18.32°C across Austria, standing 3.2°C above the 1961-1990 baseline. That made it the 5th warmest July in 87 years of records dating back to 1940, trailing the all-time record of 19.27°C set in 2015. On a global scale, the month ranked as the 3rd warmest July on record for land surface temperatures, which averaged 15.8°C or 1.6°C above baseline.
What changed
The May to July 2026 season was even more exceptional, averaging 16.05°C. At 3.4°C above baseline, it marked Austria's 3rd warmest May to July on record, behind the 16.12°C peak set in 2003. Austria ranked 9th warmest of 232 regions globally for three-month anomalies, joining a striking central European concentration where six of the top ten anomalies occurred in European countries. Austria also ranked 17th worldwide for its monthly anomaly, running 0.93°C warmer than the group average on Europe. Long term, Austria's warming trend stands at +2.28°C, with 2025 placing as the 8th warmest year on record at 7.79°C.
What’s driving change?
Austria's summer heat is propelled by , causing inland continental areas to heat up faster than surrounding seas. Atmospheric conditions were dominated by , where persistent high-pressure systems trap hot air over central Europe. In high-altitude areas, is accelerating temperature rises, speeding up glacier retreat and exacerbating mountain soil drought.
Looking ahead
Seasonal climate forecasts indicate that temperatures across central Europe are likely to remain above historical averages over the next 1-3 months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – Global
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance (countries & continents) · Met Office (UK) · US states & climate regions. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Austria
Köppen Dfb · ContinentalAustria has a continental climate (Köppen Dfb: Humid continental - warm summer), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 17.4°C, while January is the coldest at -2.2°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1017mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Austria
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Austria
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Austria
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Austria
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Records – Austria
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Dfb · ContinentalHow spring and autumn have shifted in Austria. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (5.4°C, from 1940–1969); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 21.1°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Feb (+4.0°C).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Austria
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
Country-level temperature anomaly, sourced from Copernicus ERA5 and Hadley HadCRUT5.
Annual country and global CO₂ emissions, from the Global Carbon Project.
Monthly rainfall - Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD) preferred, World Bank CCKP/CRU TS fallback where GPCC lacks direct coverage.
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Austria changing?
Austria is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Austria?
Austria has a continental climate (Köppen Dfb: Humid continental - warm summer), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 17.4°C, while January is the coldest at -2.2°C. Annual precipitation averages around 1017mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Where does the climate data for Austria come from?
Climate data for Austria comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Austria climate data cover?
The Austria climate profile covers Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Austria
How often is the Austria climate update refreshed?
The Austria climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Austria climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Austria climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.