Head in the Clouds: How the Weather Can Impact and Enhance Our Mental Health

“Fun, fascinating and original – a gust of fresh air!” - Tristan Gooley, author of The Secret World of Weather

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Feeling hot and bothered? Under the weather? This rich and timely account will help you understand how the weather affects your psychology and can benefit your mental health and wellbeing, from psychology professor and lifelong weather obsessive Trevor Harley.

We love talking about the weather, whether we’re raving or moaning about it. But do we truly understand how it makes us feel and why? And what do we do with this knowledge once we have it?

Professor Trevor Harley has spent years obsessed with the weather – watching it, recording it, studying it – and in doing so has discovered how understanding our relationship with the weather can benefit our wellbeing.

From understanding why hot weather makes us irritable and why morning sunlight is important for sleep to how thunderstorms might cause us to see ghosts and how the size of our brains changes across the seasons, Professor Harley invites you to uncover the surprising ways in which the weather shapes our minds, moods and behaviours.

In this fascinating deep dive, you will discover the true impact of different types of weather on your psychology and mental health and in doing so learn how to boost joy and maximise your wellbeing – whatever the weather.

Professor Trevor Harley is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Dundee, with a special interest in the weather who is often called upon to speak about the connection between weather and human behaviour in the media. He is the author of several academic books including The Psychology of Weather (Routledge 2018; there is more on this title below); his books have been translated into several languages.

© 2026 Professor Trevor Harley(P) 2026 DK Audio