If it seems to you like Austin has some invisible rain forcefield... you're not far from being wrong. KXAN reported that the city is actually capable of repelling rain.
A new study from the University of Texas shows that Austin is repelling rain with several different factors playing a roll. Dev Niyogi, professor of geological sciences and environmental engineering at the University of Texas said, "We have known that cities can change temperatures. We have also started to know that cities can change rainfall."
So what factors are playing a roll in the change of rainfall? According to the study, it's the height of buildings deflecting wind, concrete on the ground heating up the city, green spaces cooling parts of the city, and pollution influencing heat and ozone levels.
In addition, the shape of the city plays a roll. Niyogi said, "Whether they are square, whether they are round, whether they elongate it does have an impact in the manner in which thunderstorms get formed, where they form, whether they come over the city."
Austin is a rectangular city that follows a river and I-35. This shape of city is known for deflecting rain. Niyogi said, "Maybe there is a way that we can design Austin or any city we live in in a way that it can make it possible that there is a slightly more chance that it rains where we want it to rain."
Click here to check out the full study.