Why Today's Sunshine Is More Dangerous Than Normal

The UK could acquisition a grounds UV level of 9 connected Thursday arsenic nan somesthesia continues to rise.

So what is UV and why could records beryllium surgery now?

The UV Index (or UVI) is simply a modular world measurement of ultraviolet radiation emitted by nan Sun - which penetrates nan Earth's ambiance and tin origin sunburn.

Index values commencement astatine zero and past tin emergence supra 10.

The higher nan UVI, nan greater nan imaginable for harm to nan tegument and eyes - and besides nan little clip it takes for harm to occur.

Levels of UV radiation alteration passim nan day.

Highest readings hap successful nan four-hour play astir star noon, which - depending connected wherever you are and whether daylight redeeming clip is applied - is betwixt 12:00 and 14:00.

Countries adjacent to nan equator tin acquisition very precocious UV levels successful nan mediate of nan time passim nan year.

According to nan World Health Organization (WHO),, external Nairobi successful Kenya tin spot UV levels supra 10 each year.

Majorca successful Spain, will usually deed 9 successful June and July.

But nan Falkland Islands successful nan South Atlantic ne'er usually gets supra 5 successful December and January - erstwhile it's summertime successful nan confederate hemisphere.

UV levels summation successful nan outpouring crossed nan UK, reaching a highest successful precocious June.

In this existent spell of good weather, we could spot immoderate of nan highest UV levels ever recorded.

"Normally they're astir six aliases 7 successful nan summertime months," says BBC Weather's Matt Taylor. "Today we could deed a 9 successful immoderate parts of confederate England and South Wales."

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There are a number of factors - not conscionable because astir of nan UK is cloud-free astatine nan moment.

"We've conscionable passed nan summertime solstice truthful nan sun is peculiarly precocious successful nan sky," says Taylor.

"We've besides seen ozone depletion astatine exceptional levels crossed nan bluish hemisphere during nan wintertime and spring, chiefly owed to earthy upwind patterns.

"And pinch overmuch of nan bluish hemisphere being nether lockdown recently, contamination levels are lower. That stops nan UV being scattered rather truthful much."

We request sunlight to support america successful bully health, but getting sunburnt from excessively overmuch UV vulnerability - particularly for fair-skinned group - isn't nan only risk.

"UV is important for getting Vitamin D and keeping america healthy, but excessively overmuch of it tin origin tegument crab aliases oculus cataracts," says Dr Michaela Hegglin from nan University of Reading's Department of Meteorology.

"So gaffe into a shirt, slop connected immoderate sun cream, and slap connected a chapeau and sunglasses during nan hottest hours of nan day."

And remember, nan magnitude of UV reaching your tegument is not driven by nan regular temperature. UV levels connected a agleam and breezy precocious April time will beryllium astir nan aforesaid arsenic a lukewarm sunny time successful August.

"Your tegument tin pain conscionable arsenic quickly whether it's 30C aliases 20C," says BBC Weather's Helen Willetts. "And don't beryllium caught retired connected cloudy days. UV will still penetrate bladed clouds - truthful moreover if you don't deliberation it's that sunny, you tin still burn."

You should regularly use a precocious facet sunscreen to forestall tegument harm - particularly if you are fair-skinned. You should besides debar being retired successful nan sun during nan mediate of nan day.

Sunglasses are besides important. Exposure to UV rays has besides been linked to superior oculus conditions.