Austria's all-time heat record falls again: 41.2°C at Bad Deutsch-Altenburg amid drought and water shortages
On Wednesday afternoon Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in Lower Austria reached 41.2°C at 15:40 — a new national all-time high and the third day in a row above 40°C, surpassing the record set only a day earlier.
The prolonged heat and drought are straining water supplies. Authorities in Mittersill (Pinzgau) have set up a central water-distribution point to supply farms, and water use in southern Burgenland is running 30–35% above last year. Rivers in Carinthia are drying out and lakes in Upper Austria — including the Attersee, Mondsee and Wolfgangsee — sit at unusually low levels.
Officials are urging residents to conserve water and take care in the heat: drink plenty of water, avoid the midday sun, and check on elderly or vulnerable neighbours.