THE EFFECTS OF WEATHER ON HOMICIDE

This article examines the correlation between weather features and hom icide in Baltimore, Maryland, over an 8-year span of time. The consist ent meteorological-measure of importance is the number of previous day s in a row in which the discomfort index (a temperature and humidity m easure) has been over the physiologically relevant level of 79. In ah cases, however, the variance explained is quite small. The results are used to compare physiological and interactional explanations of weath er or heat effects, leading to the conclusion that the repertoire of h abits and adaptations available to the individual conditions his or he r reactions to physiological stress induced by the weather.