Weather tracker: Austria breaks heat records as Japan braces for Typhoon Dolphin
✓Unbearable, record-breaking heat has dominated the summer of 2026 across much of Europe. New records were set in central Europe last week, with Wieselburg in Austria registering a new July peak of 40.3C (104.5F). This is particularly significant as it is just 0.2C behind the all-time high, set in the August of 2003.
However, not all of the northern hemisphere has experienced extreme heat and aridity. Vancouver recorded its wettest July since 2016 and the third wettest since 2008, with 33.6mm of rain. While that total may not appear exceptional, it is only a touch above the 1991-2020 climate average, highlighting how unusually dry July has been in the Canadian city over the past decade.
Meanwhile, Typhoon Dolphin has continued to barrel westwards across the Pacific Ocean towards Japan and Taiwan. It became the fifth category 5 tropical cyclone of 2026 and ranks third for wind speed, behind only typhoons Bavi and Sinlaku.
Dolphin reached maximum sustained wind speeds of 175mph on Thursday, with a central pressure of 910mb. The storm intensified rapidly over just 36 hours. On 27 July, it was a tropical storm, however, exceptionally warm sea temperatures of about 30C fuelled its swift transformation into a super typhoon. Another contributing factor was its unusually compact structure, with hurricane-force winds extending only 52 miles from the centre. By comparison, a powerful typhoon such as Dolphin would typically have a hurricane-force wind radius of about 100 miles.
As of Monday, Dolphin has been downgraded to a category 3 storm, with sustained wind speeds of 125mph. As it continues westwards towards the island of Okinawa, it is forecast to weaken further and make landfall as a category 1 or 2 typhoon.
However, wind speeds of 80-100mph are still expected to affect the archipelago and remain strong enough to cause widespread damage and disruption.
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Although the overall wind speed of Dolphin is decreasing, its wind field is forecast to expand as it approaches land, shifting the primary threat from destructive winds to storm surge.
Read the full story at Al Jazeera ↗ · The Guardian ↗
Record heat has marked the European summer of 2026. Austria's Wieselburg registered 40.3°C in July, within 0.2°C of the 2003 all-time high. In the Pacific, Typhoon Dolphin became the fifth category 5 cyclone of 2026, reaching 175mph maximum winds before weakening to category 3 as of Monday. The storm intensified rapidly from tropical storm status on 27 July, driven by unusually warm 30°C ocean temperatures and a compact structure that concentrated its destructive force. As it approaches Japan and Taiwan, Dolphin is forecast to make landfall as a weaker category 1 or 2 storm. Wind speeds of 80–100mph will still affect Okinawa. As the cyclone moves westward, its wind field is expected to expand, shifting the primary hazard from wind to storm surge. Meanwhile, Vancouver recorded its wettest July since 2016, though rainfall remained near the 1991–2020 average, illustrating variable weather patterns across the northern hemisphere.
Read the full story at Al Jazeera ↗ · The Guardian ↗
Unbearable, record-breaking heat has dominated the summer of 2026 across much of Europe. New records were set in central Europe last week, with Wieselburg in Austria registering a new July peak of 40.3C (104.5F). This is particularly significant as it is just 0.2C behind the all-time high, set in the August of 2003.
However, not all of the northern hemisphere has experienced extreme heat and aridity. Vancouver recorded its wettest July since 2016 and the third wettest since 2008, with 33.6mm of rain. While that total may not appear exceptional, it is only a touch above the 1991-2020 climate average, highlighting how unusually dry July has been in the Canadian city over the past decade.
Meanwhile, Typhoon Dolphin has continued to barrel westwards across the Pacific Ocean towards Japan and Taiwan. It became the fifth category 5 tropical cyclone of 2026 and ranks third for wind speed, behind only typhoons Bavi and Sinlaku.
Dolphin reached maximum sustained wind speeds of 175mph on Thursday, with a central pressure of 910mb. The storm intensified rapidly over just 36 hours. On 27 July, it was a tropical storm, however, exceptionally warm sea temperatures of about 30C fuelled its swift transformation into a super typhoon. Another contributing factor was its unusually compact structure, with hurricane-force winds extending only 52 miles from the centre. By comparison, a powerful typhoon such as Dolphin would typically have a hurricane-force wind radius of about 100 miles.
As of Monday, Dolphin has been downgraded to a category 3 storm, with sustained wind speeds of 125mph. As it continues westwards towards the island of Okinawa, it is forecast to weaken further and make landfall as a category 1 or 2 typhoon.
However, wind speeds of 80-100mph are still expected to affect the archipelago and remain strong enough to cause widespread damage and disruption.
after newsletter promotion
Although the overall wind speed of Dolphin is decreasing, its wind field is forecast to expand as it approaches land, shifting the primary threat from destructive winds to storm surge.
Read the full story at Al Jazeera ↗ · The Guardian ↗
Wieselburg in Austria registered 40.3°C in July 2026, the new July peak for the country This temperature is 0.2°C below the all-time record set in August 2003 Unbearable, record-breaking heat has dominated the European summer of 2026 Typhoon Dolphin became the fifth category 5 tropical cyclone of 2026 and ranks third for wind speed globally Dolphin reached maximum sustained wind speeds of 175mph with central pressure of 910mb The storm intensified from tropical storm status on 27 July to super typhoon in 36 hours due to 30°C ocean temperatures Dolphin's unusually compact structure, with hurricane-force winds extending only 52 miles from centre, contributed to rapid intensification As of Monday, Dolphin was downgraded to category 3 with 125mph sustained winds The storm is forecast to make landfall as category 1 or 2 typhoon with 80–100mph winds affecting Okinawa Wind speeds of 80–100mph remain strong enough to cause widespread damage and disruption Vancouver recorded 33.6mm of rain in July, its wettest month since 2016 and third wettest since 2008 Vancouver's July rainfall only slightly exceeded the 1991–2020 average, highlighting unusually dry conditions over the past decade As Dolphin approaches land, expanding wind field shifts the primary threat from destructive winds to storm surge
Read the full story at Al Jazeera ↗ · The Guardian ↗
- Austria recorded 40.3°C in Wieselburg, approaching the 2003 all-time record by 0.2°C, amid European heat waves in summer 2026
- Typhoon Dolphin weakened from category 5 to category 3 with 125mph winds as it approached Japan, expected to make landfall as category 1 or 2
- Dolphin intensified rapidly over 36 hours due to 30°C ocean temperatures and an unusually compact structure concentrating wind force
- Vancouver experienced its wettest July since 2016 but still near historical averages, showing regional variation in 2026 weather patterns
- Storm surge poses increasing threat as Dolphin's wind field expands approaching Okinawa despite decreasing peak wind speeds