The Ultraviolet Index
Personal UVI Behaviour Table
How UV behaves during the day |
The Ultraviolet Index (UVI)
The UVI is a measure of the intensity of Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in our environment. The higher the number the more intense the UVR.
UVR causes damage to our skin and can lead to skin cancer, which kills almost 300 New Zealanders a year.
When the UVI is at 6 or more we need to protect ourselves. This happens almost daily between October and March, and can happen in winter, especially at high altitudes and in snow.
Even when the temperature is not hot the UV radiation levels can be dangerous so temperature is not a good indicator of the need to protect yourself.
UVR can penetrate light cloud cover, so even on cloudy days, and days that may have intermittent showers, you may still be at risk.
The UVI is promoted by the World Health Organization, is scientifically based, and is used internationally. A Practical Guide' can be downloaded from http://www.who.int/uv/publications/globalindex/en/. |
