Climate Change and Roofing

Roofs are designed for local climate, using historical records of wind, rain, snow and temperature. As the climate warms, some of those hazards are changing, which affects how roofs should be designed, built, maintained and insured. Roofs are also part of the response to climate change through cool roofs, green roofs, rooftop solar and lower-carbon materials.

Changing hazards

• Tropical cyclones. NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory summarizes projections for about 2 °C of global warming: tropical cyclone intensity rising about 1-10 percent globally, a greater proportion of storms reaching Category 4 and 5, and rainfall rates near the storm centre increasing about 14 percent. The IPCC rates these projected increases with high confidence, while the total number of storms may decrease or change little. Rising sea levels increase storm surge flooding.
• Heavy rain. Higher rainfall intensity raises the demand on gutters, drains and overflows, and increases the importance of secondary drainage and detention.
• Heat. Higher temperatures and longer heatwaves accelerate aging of asphalt and polymer roofing, raise cooling demand, and intensify urban heat islands, which the US EPA notes are expected to strengthen as cities grow.
• Wildfire. Longer fire seasons and expanding development in the wildland-urban interface increase ember exposure for roofs. In the United States, the area burned by wildfires nearly doubled between 1985-1994 and 2005-2014.
• Hail and convective storms. Hail remains a leading cause of US roof claims, with more than 5,000 major hail events recorded annually in 2024 and 2025; trends are an active research topic.
• Snow and ice. Changing winters can bring heavier wet snow, rain-on-snow events and more freeze-thaw cycles in some regions, affecting snow loads and ice dams.

Design responses

• Updating wind, rain and snow maps in codes to reflect current and projected climate;
• Continuous load paths, sealed roof decks and stronger edges in high-wind regions;
• Impact-rated and Class A fire-rated coverings where hail and wildfire risk is high;
• Larger and redundant drainage;
• Ember-resistant vents and details;
• Better air sealing, insulation and ventilation in cold climates.

Mitigation roles of roofs

• Cool roofs reduce cooling energy and urban heat.
• Green and blue roofs retain stormwater and cool cities.
• Rooftop solar generates renewable electricity.
• Lower embodied carbon through durable, recyclable and lower-emission materials verified by Environmental Product Declarations.

Insurance and resilience

Rising losses from storms are reshaping insurance for roofs, with more attention to roof age, material, and mitigation programs such as FORTIFIED in the United States.