Hot weather, bad temper?

Summer heatwaves can significantly affect our behaviour. Fernando Miralles, a lecturer in psychology at the CEU San Pablo university in Madrid, explained that when the temperature is excessively high people who are highly sensitive to meteorological conditions often become more apathetic and feel tired.

These negative symptoms can be even worse when the weather is humid and the wind is hot, in addition to the high temperatures.

Weather conditions can affect peoples behaviour in increasingly negative ways. They may find it very hard to concentrate and become more impulsive, impatient and bad-tempered, said Miralles.

What is a meteorologically sensitive person? We can say that it is someone whose daily life is affected by weather conditions. That applies to nearly 70 per cent of people, and factors such as temperature, humidity and especially the number of hours of daylight (but not sunshine) have an effect on their everyday life. Thats why we see that some people in winter when there are fewer hours of light, or in countries with little sunshine, are more introverted and feel less inclined to take part in group activities. This sensitivity can even lead to minor depression when there is a lack of light, he explained.

However, when the days are longer and the temperature is not too high, summer is the time of year when we feel happier and become nicer and more tolerant.

Miralles explained, People who are sensitive to meteorological conditions can feel depressed in the autumn and winter because of the lack of light, but in the spring and summer they have more energy and are more cheerful.

But what happens when the temperature is really high? The effects are usually notable when it rises above body temperature (about 37ºC) and people feel tired, lack concentration and are in a bad mood.

The reason

According to Miralles, when there is a minimal number of hours of light, or in the case of extreme temperatures, the hypothalamus does not regulate the secretion of hormones very well and this can affect some peoples behaviour.

The so-called circadian cycle is the hormonal organisation of the body which makes us feel sleepy at night by secreting melatonin or feel hungry at midday or in the evening. In people who are meteorologically sensitive, the circadian rhythms are altered and their sleep is not refreshing. They wake up feeling tired, depressed or their behaviour changes in some way; they may become impulsive or give inappropriate responses, and in some cases people can even become quite violent, he said.

The heatwaves that hit a large part of Spain every summer cause people to suffer from vasodilation, excessive perspiration and loss of fluids and electrolytes through the skin. To combat these problems, Miralles recommends eating low-calorie foods, not drinking alcohol, sleeping more than normal (for example, taking a 20-minute siesta), drastically reducing physical activity, wearing light clothing and, above all, keeping out of direct sunlight and drinking plenty of liquids.

North-south divide

Compare meteoro-sensitivity in people who live in northern countries with those who live in Spain could explain stereotypical characters.

We can demonstrate sociologically why a British person may seem serious in comparison with a Spaniard, or even why people who live in northern Spain, in places such as Galicia or the Basque Country, seem serious compared with those in Andalucía, he said.

Our surroundings have an influence on our hormone production, and that affects our behaviour, he concluded.