Europe Enters the "41-Degree Era" as Austria and Slovakia Set New High Temperature Records
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- 2026-08-06 06:46:55
- Updated
- 2026-08-06 06:46:55
[Financial News] Record-breaking heat has hit Central Europe, and Austria and Slovakia have both set new all-time high temperatures. With drought adding to the strain, water levels in the Danube River, Europe’s lifeline, have fallen to historic lows, raising alarms for power generation and logistics.
According to AFP, Austria’s national weather service said on the 5th local time that 41.2 degrees Celsius was recorded in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in the east of the country. It was a new national record, surpassing the previous high of 41.0 degrees Celsius set in Vienna the day before.
Austria had already recorded July as the fourth hottest July since observations began, and the heatwave has continued into August. The weather service said some areas have seen rainfall deficits of up to 90% compared with average levels, as severe drought has intensified.
Slovakia also set a new all-time high, with temperatures reaching 41.4 degrees Celsius in Kamenica nad Hronom in the southwest, surpassing the 41.3 degrees Celsius recorded in the same area in June.
As the heatwave and drought drag on, water levels in the Danube River have dropped to their lowest level on record. As a result, hydropower efficiency has declined in countries along the river, including Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, while cargo shipping and agricultural water supplies have also been disrupted.
The heatwave is spreading across Eastern Europe. Poland’s weather authorities issued the highest-level heat alerts for most of the country, including the capital, Warsaw. In the southeast, temperatures are forecast to reach as high as 40 degrees Celsius, while Warsaw is also expected to remain sweltering at around 38 degrees.
To reduce the damage from the heat, the Polish government urged companies to actively allow employees to work from home. It also asked citizens with air conditioning to make full use of it to prevent heat-related illnesses.
[email protected] Kim Kyung-min Reporter