Temperature and Relative Humidity Distribution in a Heritage Church Attic During Summer

The paper focuses on the air temperature and air relative humidity patterns in the attic space of a listed church located near a heavy-traffic road in northern Slovakia during a typical summer week – from 9 to 15 July 2024. Microclimatic monitoring revealed distinct temperature and humidity gradients affecting natural airflow in the attic space, with differences between the northern and southern parts of the attic up to 2.5 °C and 9 % respectively in the afternoon. Extreme microclimatic conditions were recorded near the roof ridge, where the air temperature reached a maximum of approximately 49.1 °C and the air relative humidity dropped to 20 %. The study findings thus provide valuable input data for calibrating and refining dynamic simulation models, and subsequently for designing attic ventilation strategies to protect historical timber trusses from degradation risks.