Vienna bans public BBQs during heatwave

The public barbecues in areas such as the Donauinsel present a fire risk during hot weather, the forestry department said in a press release.

The ban will be in place ‘until further notice’ and will only be lifted after prolonged rain. Barbecues are still allowed in private gardens – as long as they are not in wooded areas.

According to current projections this July could be the hottest on record, with temperatures 3.5C hotter than the average for this month. A lack of summer rain means that temperatures at night have tended to stay well above 20C.

In the cities, the abundance of concrete and asphalt (known as the Urban Heat Effect) means it takes longer to cool down.  

The previous record holder was July 2006, which was 2.7C hotter on average.

The heat wave is expected to reach its peak on Wednesday, with temperatures of up to 38C forecast.

Meanwhile, construction unions have appealed to building site employers to comply with legal regulations which stipulate that construction workers should not have to work outside in temperatures of 35C and over.

Earlier this month two building site workers in Styria died from heat related causes. Workers are allowed to claim up to 60 percent of their hourly rate on ‘heat free days’.