The role of air conditioning waste heat in shaping short-duration intense rainfall: Insights from coastal twin cities

Abstract

Global warming is driving increased cooling demand for air conditioning worldwide, yet the impacts of air conditioning waste heat (ACWH) on urban hydroclimatic extremes remain underexplored. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong area (SHA), one of China's most densely populated and energy-intensive coastal regions, exhibits a notable urban rain island effect. This study investigates the role of ACWH in summer short-duration intense rainfall (SDIR) events in the SHA using a high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with a local climate zone (LCZ) map. The WRF model, with AC settings incorporated, effectively reproduces diurnal variations in local meteorological variables, particul..