As summer draws to a close, there’s no sign of cooler weather on the horizon. The forecast for the weekend and beyond predicts temperatures well above 30C, with plenty of sunshine, especially in eastern Austria, which is expected to be a hotspot.

In recent days, much of the country has experienced a brief respite from the heat. For example, from Vorarlberg to the Waldviertel, maximum temperatures on Monday hovered around 20C. Even in the east and south, where temperatures exceeded 30C in some areas, it was still cooler than the previous weekend.

However, the coming days will see high pressure building from the Mediterranean across the Alps to the Baltic Sea, bringing the heat back across Austria. Temperatures are expected to reach or exceed 30C in all states, with sunny weather prevailing.

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Wednesday will begin with fog and low clouds drifting from Bavaria and the Czech Republic in some areas. Later in the day, spring clouds may appear, and isolated showers and thunderstorms could develop in the mountains.

Despite this, most of the country will remain dry. With light to moderate winds from the east to south, which may be brisk in the Danube region, daytime temperatures in Burgenland will range from 25C to 33C. At higher altitudes, such as on the main ridge of the Tyrolean Alps, temperatures could reach up to 19C.

Thursday is expected to be very hot, with most of the day remaining sunny. Morning temperatures of 15C to 20C will rise to 25C to 34C by the afternoon, mainly affecting the eastern regions.

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However, cumulus clouds may form in some areas during the afternoon, leading to a few localised showers and thunderstorms, particularly in Salzburg, East Tyrol, Carinthia, Styria, and the Lower Austrian Alpine foothills. Squalls could accompany some of this precipitation, though winds will be generally light.

Friday will bring more hot and sunny weather, with temperatures again reaching highs of 25C to 34C degrees. Clouds may develop in the afternoon and evening, particularly in the west, potentially bringing thunderstorms.

The intense heat will persist on Saturday, with temperatures ranging from 26C to 35C. Sunshine will dominate across Austria, though afternoon showers and thunderstorms are possible in the Rätikon and Zillertal Alps regions, accompanied by light to moderate winds from the northeast to southeast.

Sunday, the beginning of September and the meteorological autumn, will be another hot day. Temperatures are expected to reach around 35C in the east and 27C to 33C in most parts of Austria. Sunshine will again be prevalent, though there will also be some high, translucent clouds. Spring clouds, showers, and thunderstorms may return from Vorarlberg to western Upper Styria.

It remains uncertain how long this heatwave will last. The east of Austria will likely remain hot at the start of next week, coinciding with the beginning of the school year, while cooler air could reach western Austria early in the week. 

The current temperatures are approaching Austria’s September records, with the highest being 36.0 degrees recorded in Pottschach, Lower Austria, on 1st September 2015, according to the GeoSphere Austria climate portal.

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