By: Jingwei Zhao

Heat waves are known to be one of the most dangerous weather issues. They can range from only ruining someone’s ice cream to creating a year without summer, like in 1816. The ambient temperature of heat waves changes the serotonin levels in a human body, which was discovered in 2017. Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that calms anxiety, increases happiness, and control the mood of a person. Since the serotonin malfunctions due to the extremely high temperature, people become more violent and angry. This has been proven on numerous accounts with people making many inhumane decisions.

Some people in a heat wave are more aggressive when it comes to traffic. They honk their horns more often due to the stress of the heat and the red lights above. However, there have been many cases of riots, homicide, suicide, and fighting. It is stated in a BBC article that “In South Africa, for every degree that the temperature goes up, there is a 1.5% increase in the number of murders.” During early August of 2020, there was chaos in the Netherlands. The temperature was at an all-high time, leading to buildings being burned down and citizens attacking the police. In the aftermath, 27 people were arrested.

There are many more occasions when heat waves override the serotonin levels of the human body. For example, the summer festivals of La Tomatina in Spain may lead to fighting and confusion. The festival is about tomatoes and their colors may look like blood at a quick glance. Athletes may use foul play in a sports game and news reporters may use harsher language in their words. Heat waves can also cause droughts, which damages crops and leads to hunger in the areas around it. In fact, global warming has been causing more severe weather, including higher chances of heat waves. The dangers of a heat wave can be more than what people expect.