Chapter 2 examines how violent and property crime respond to temperature, rainfall and drought in South Africa. Based on a 12-years panel data set of detailed crime records and weather data, it confirms the plausibility of a heat-aggression mechanisms, and finds evidence for a...

South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world, incurring high cost for society. The present paper examines the effect of weather shocks on various types of crime. Using a 12-year panel data set at monthly resolution on the police ward level, we demonstrate a short-term effect of...