How one Sydney council is trying to cool down a suburb this summer
During summer, western Sydney can be one of the hottest places on earth.
Parts of the city often swelter through record-breaking temperatures, and experts now believe they've found one of the causes - and a possible solution.
Vast dark surfaces such as roads and car parks can contribute to the heat, reaching upwards of 70 degrees in the height of summer.
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In summer, surface temperatures in large dark spaces like car parks can reach 75C, heating up the whole neighbourhood. 9News
"If you have a car park that would be completely blackened, and unshaded, you'll probably find surface temperatures of around 70-75 degrees Celsius," Dr Sebastian Fautsch from Western Sydney University said.
Thermal images show just how intense the heat can be. There is an estimated six square kilometres of asphalt car parks across Sydney's west.
These wide dark surfaces can end up heating up whole neighbourhoods.
"What happens is the radiant heat coming off that car park contributes further to warming the air," Fautsch explained.
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Dr Sebastian Fautsch from Western Sydney University is working the Cumberland Council to cool outdoor spaces down in summer. 9News
He is now working with Cumberland Council to find new solutions, and hopes to cool down public spaces.
One such place is Holroyd Gardens, where a large structure has been installed for vines to grow on and keep the area shaded.
"It's a prototype project, looking at how we transform a hot asphalt car park into a cool smart space," Cumberland council environment and planning director Daniel Cavallo said.
Director of Environment and Planning at Cumberland Council, Daniel Cavallo, said people should be able to move freely no matter the season. 9News
"We know that western Sydney has some of the hottest temperatures in the world, so we need to know the community can go about their business in the winter and the summer," he added.
On January 4, 2020, Penrith was the hottest place on earth at 48.9 degrees.
There are concerns that as the summers get longer and hotter and the urban sprawl spreads, temperatures will keep rising.
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