Rooftop rainwater could be a secret weapon in tackling extreme heat, following Europe’s blistering summer.
New research from The University of Manchester in the UK modelled a system that stores rainwater harvested from rooftops and automatically sprays it onto buildings during hot weather.
The study, published in the science journal Earth’s Future, found that cooler roofs transferred less heat into buildings, lowering the demand for air conditioning and therefore cutting energy consumption usually needed for cooling.
Less air con also means less heat waste would be released into the city. Together, researchers say these effects could help reduce urban temperatures, cutting the number of heatwave days overall and lessening the intensity of extreme heat events.
Rooftops can act as ‘strategic cooling’ for cities
