Suicide Rates increase in Hotter Weather

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An analysis of 50,000 suicides in England and Wales between 1993 and 2003 found that as the temperature rises so does the suicide rate. In fact for each degree above 18C there was a four percent rise in suicides – and for violent suicides the rate was 5%. Some of the reasons put forth were that people become more irritable and aggressive in hot weather, serotonin levels decrease in the summer, and people tend to drink more alcohol in hotter weather. In fact in the 1995 heat wave the suicide rate increased by 46.9%. The highest day for suicides was January 1 and the Mondays were the worst day. As with all suicides 75% are by men and 25% by women.
Authors Note: I was always under the assumptions that since Oregon and Washington have about 220+ days of rain and the suicide rate is highest in those states, that rainy weather was the culprit. Maybe we should do some comparative studies here in the U.S.