Austria reports 646 heat-related deaths in June and July

Austria recorded its highest number of heat-related deaths in June and July, as Europe experienced a series of severe and consecutive heatwaves this summer.

The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) reported 646 heat-related deaths, surpassing the previous record of 570 deaths registered in June and July 2024.

Scientists say climate change driven by human activity is making extreme weather events more frequent and intense, with Europe now the fastest-warming continent in the world.

Like much of the continent, Austria saw record-breaking temperatures and droughts this summer.

In early August, a new national heat record of 41.2°C was set in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in eastern Austria, exceeding the previous record of 41°C recorded just one day earlier in Vienna.