Geosphere Austria Presents Climate Balance for Summer 2026

In the lowlands, several stations reached new peak values. According to this, a peak value was measured in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in Lower Austria, and another in Ferlach in Carinthia. The authority also evaluated the number of tropical nights, i.e., nights in which the thermometer does not drop below 20 degrees Celsius.

The duration of individual heatwaves was also examined. According to this, the heat periods lasted over longer periods than the average of earlier comparison periods. The sequence of hot days, i.e., days with at least 30 degrees Celsius, was also above the climate mean.

Measurements in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg and Ferlach

The preliminary assessment is based on data from the measurement network of Geosphere Austria. The authority emphasized that this is a first assessment and the final climatological evaluation is still pending.

The classification follows the comparison with the current climate mean, which covers the period 1991 to 2020. Values that stand out significantly in this comparison are classified by the authority as exceptional or extreme, and values without previously observed counterparts as unprecedented.

In addition to the heat records, the low number of frost days in the high mountains was also highlighted. At higher altitudes, where frost in summer occurs rarely but regularly, the number of frost days was below average.

Methodological Notes and Outlook

The communication also refers to methodological notes: Individual records must be examined in the final evaluation, for example with regard to data quality and comparability with historical series. The final classification will only be determined after this examination.

The authority announced that it would publish the complete climatological assessment of summer 2026 at a later date. It pointed out that the preliminary statements are based on the automatic measurements and an initial plausibility check.

For the classification of summer 2026 within Austrian climatology, developments in neighboring countries will also play a role. In this context, Geosphere Austria referred to the international exchange of measurement data within the framework of European weather services.

The preliminary balance thus places the summer in a series of warm summers in recent years, but highlights the combination of duration, intensity, and nighttime warmth. According to the preliminary figures, this combination occurred simultaneously in several parts of the country.

The authority expects the final balance to be published in the course of autumn. Until then, the current values remain as a preliminary assessment.