Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

Does warm weather mean you are less likely to catch Covid?

Does warm weather mean you are less likely to catch Covid?

According to epidemiologists, meeting outside helps minimise infection risks but heat itself has a negligible effect on the virus

With the recent rising temperatures and more people now mixing outdoors as restrictions have been lifted in England, and eased in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, experts explain how much of an effect the weather has on Covid-19.

Does the hot weather have an impact on Covid?


Studies show that the season, and the temperature, does have an impact on the spread of the coronavirus but that impact is not significant.

Prof John Edmunds, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said the evidence showed that warmer temperatures affected transmission, but the impact was small as most transmission occurred inside.

“Transmission outside is minimal,” said Edmunds, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. “Most transmission happens in enclosed settings. If it’s sunny outside viruses will die quicker, but they wouldn’t have lasted very long in any case.”

A recent study led by Imperial College and conducted on US data found higher temperatures were associated with lower transmission rates, if there were no other measures in place such as lockdowns and mask wearing. The Imperial study found that a 20 degree difference – typical between summer and winter – would probably see a change in the reproduction number of 0.8.

“From an epidemiological perspective this change can be significant,” said one of the study’s co-authors, Dr Ilaria Dorigatti. “[But] in presence of interventions climatic factors play a negligible role.”

So why do other viruses such as the flu flourish in winter?


Because even a small increase in a relatively low R number can make a difference, according to Edmunds.

“Vaccination or [natural] immunity will bring the reproduction number right down or immunity in the population. So a small change can allow the reproduction number to go slightly above one, or slightly below one. In the winter if it is slightly above one you get winter epidemics, and if in summer it is slightly below one, less so.”

Do UV rays kill the coronavirus?


Yes, but as most transmission of Covid was indoors, again the difference was slight, said Edmunds. “UV does kill viruses. So higher UV is bad for the virus, but that only really matters outside. And given that almost no transmission occurs outside anyway, it doesn’t make a lot of difference,” he said.

Dorigatti said the Imperial study focused on temperature and did not specifically look at UV but other studies by the Yale professor Yiqun Ma and others had found higher UV rates could have a role to play in reducing transmission rates.

Does the type of heat impact transmissibility?


One study by scientists in China, yet to be peer reviewed, suggested mortality rates were lower on days when the humidity levels and temperatures were higher. Dorigatti said other studies by Mohammad M Sajadi and Yiqun Ma had found a role for humidity, with lower humidity associated with higher transmission rates, implying that humid heat may reduce transmission more than dry heat.

Can we worry less about Covid in warmer weather?


In short, no. Dr Will Pearse, another researcher on the Imperial study, said the critical message was that the weather was only a small factor in the spread of Covid.

“I would really strongly encourage people to not think: ‘OK, it’s warm weather outside, so I don’t need to worry about Covid,’” he said. “We’ve seen what the situation looks like in places warmer than the UK and in places colder than the UK. Warm weather is no substitute for mitigation.”

Kathleen O’Reilly, an epidemiologist with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “Hopefully most people will be sensible and pragmatic; meeting outdoors will minimise Covid-19 infection risk but staying out of direct sunlight, especially at midday, is still important. Meeting indoors but ensuring good ventilation will be good to minimise infection risk and also to keep cool,” she said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
×