Austria’s September Among Warmest on Record as Heat, Drought Persist

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VIENNA, Oct. 1, 2026 — Austria experienced an exceptionally warm September that brought an end to a remarkably long-lasting period of midsummer-like weather, according to the preliminary monthly climate report released by Geosphere Austria.

Temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius well into September, extending a season of unusual warmth. The highest temperature of the month was recorded on Sept. 8 at the Geosphere Austria monitoring station in Pottschach, Lower Austria, where the thermometer reached 34.7 degrees Celsius. The last day with temperatures above 30 degrees was Sept. 9.

The prolonged heat resulted in a record number of hot days across the country. Of Geosphere Austria’s roughly 280 active weather stations, 171 registered a new annual record for the number of days with temperatures of at least 30 degrees Celsius.

“The previous station records were exceeded by an average of 25 percent,” said climatologist Alexander Orlik. “The highest number of hot days in September, five, was recorded in Güssing and Bad Radkersburg.”

Although temperatures returned to more seasonal levels after Sept. 10, the month still ranked as the 14th warmest September in Austria’s 260-year measurement history. Despite the overall warmth, the first sub-zero temperatures in inhabited areas were also recorded. On Sept. 23, the Geosphere Austria station in Schwarzau im Freiwald, Upper Austria, measured minus 4.4 degrees Celsius.

September also brought more widespread rainfall after an extremely dry summer. However, precipitation remained below average, with a nationwide deficit of 26 percent.

“At least the generally prevailing drought did not intensify further, but the urgently needed widespread and intensive rainfall was still lacking in September,” Orlik said.

According to Geosphere Austria, the summer half of 2026 ranks among the four driest since the beginning of the HISTALP precipitation record in 1858.

Dry conditions persisted across large parts of the country, particularly in Vorarlberg, the Arlberg region, the Außerfern area of Tyrol, and a broad corridor stretching from Salzburg’s Tennengau district through Burgenland to the southern Vienna Basin. Precipitation deficits in these regions ranged from 50 to 70 percent.

Bad Radkersburg in Styria was Austria’s driest location in September, recording a precipitation deficit of 75 percent. In contrast, parts of Lower Carinthia and eastern Tyrol received 15 to 20 percent more rainfall than average.

High-pressure systems dominated Austrian weather during the month, bringing largely clear skies and abundant sunshine. Sunshine duration was 25 percent above the 1991-2020 climate average. Only September 2023 was sunnier in recent years, with sunshine levels 44 percent above average.

The latest figures underscore the continuing trend of unusually warm conditions in Austria, even as autumn begins and temperatures gradually move closer to seasonal norms.