Be warned - The sun is mighty strong despite the cold!!!

highdef

It's rather chilly in that breeze today. I'm out in Inchicore and was sniffling by the time I got back from the shops. Funnily enough, when I got to an area that is always sheltered from an easterly at the side of the building I work in, it actually felt really warm.....as in tshirt and sunbathable warm!!! As soon as the sun goes in or there is the slightest breath of wind, it feels freezing, however.

Goes to show how strong the sun is at this stage of the year. Its as strong as late August now so an average fair skinned person would be starting to burn after an hour or so around the (solar) noon. I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear of people getting burned today despite it being quite cold.

Am I correct in saying the above? I know the temps are low but between about noon and 3pm, would the sun be as strong as late August, despite the fact that you would never imagine burning when temps are in single digits in a lot of places today. I say late August as we are about as far from the summer solstice now as late August is.

Snowbie

I burned slightly last April when we had the fine weather doing up the garden etc. But dont be fooled, the UV is running at between 4-6 today, with 10 being the strongest limit.
The cold is in fact what throws people off, it doesn't have to be warm to get burned its the high UV that burns you, how quick it burns depends on skin pigment.

arctictree

highdef wrote: »

It's rather chilly in that breeze today. I'm out in Inchicore and was sniffling by the time I got back from the shops. Funnily enough, when I got to an area that is always sheltered from an easterly at the side of the building I work in, it actually felt really warm.....as in tshirt and sunbathable warm!!! As soon as the sun goes in or there is the slightest breath of wind, it feels freezing, however.

Goes to show how strong the sun is at this stage of the year. Its as strong as late August now so an average fair skinned person would be starting to burn after an hour or so around the (solar) noon. I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear of people getting burned today despite it being quite cold.

Am I correct in saying the above? I know the temps are low but between about noon and 3pm, would the sun be as strong as late August, despite the fact that you would never imagine burning when temps are in single digits in a lot of places today. I say late August as we are about as far from the summer solstice now as late August is.

Yes, getting sunburnt is more about the strength of the sunlight than the actual heat.

This often happens to people during a skiing holiday. Also, we were out fishing on Sunday off Wexford and most of us had red faces after the day even though it was quite chilly.

A

highdef

Is it really that strong Snowbie? I thought it only gets to about 6 in ireland and 10 and 10+ is more akin to what you get in the Med. The UK Met have a UV level of 3 for Ireland today which equates to "moderate". Are there different scales for UV levels in use?

Snowbie

highdef wrote: »

Is it really that strong Snowbie? I thought it only gets to about 6 in ireland and 10 and 10+ is more akin to what you get in the Med. The UK Met have a UV level of 3 for Ireland today which equates to "moderate". Are there different scales for UV levels in use?

Dont get confused between actual ambient temp and UV the two however can be directly and also indirectly asscoiated with heat.
UV levels can get very high here most likely 8 or 9 but 10 has been recorded. Most likely levels are higher the further south you go as the suns rays are directly hitting the earth.The equator would be most prolific while here during the winter time the rays are much more angled and UV be minimal.

You can get burnt in april aswell as in October in Ireland but chances are less than our summer months.
As arctictree said, you can get burnt in ski resorts but this is mostly due but (not entirely and depending on latitude) to relection off snow, as snow and clouds have the greatest reflection of suns rays(UV) back into space.

Supercell

I got sunburnt last year in Febuary walking up Scarr one very clear day.
We are only a couple of months from the longest day so the sun is just as strong now as it is in August...temperature has nothing to do with it.

Danno

Gosh Snowbie, I didn't think we could record 10 UV here. I thought we were too far north - didn't even think it was achievable in the southernmost of England either.


/slaps on plenty of suncream/

Mothman

I was telling missus today to keep eye on kids.

Max UV just under level 5 today. Typically in summer it reaches between 7 and 8. Last year I recorded 9 days with max above 8 and 3 maxed above 9. These 3 were in May!!

Mothman

The other thing one notices with a UV sensor is how little it drops under cloud. A lot of the UV still gets through!

Supercell

Mothman wrote: »

The other thing one notices with a UV sensor is how little it drops under cloud. A lot of the UV still gets through!

Definitely true. My skin is the ultimate UV measure believe me!!

I remember spending a day in Blessington by the lakes a few years ago in late July IIRC, it was totally overcast without a hint of sun all day..was drizzly for a good part of the day.
I got pretty badly burnt all the same, was pretty surprised (then again I'm fair skinned with freckles..the sun only has to be out for 10 seconds before I need suncream).

I like the sun but having fair skin now onwards is burn time!

Snowbie

A nice little feature on weather display. It takes data from my UV sensor and calculates the time to burn using the color of my skin pigment. My UV high was level 4.
Like MM its a handy guide when the kids are out and about more importantly approaching the summer months when UV goes much higher and burn times increase.

squonk

What was said about the UV index and cloud by Mothman reminds me of one of my aunties telling me when I was small that I should cover up and that I could get sunburned even though it was cloudy. I thought she was mad, even all these years later. Seems she wasn't

Neamhshuntasach

I only noticed this evening that i am starting to tan already. I don't even remember it being sunny

Snowbie

Some interesting articles

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs271/en/

http://www.photobiology.com/UVR98/sabburg/index.htm

http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1195733761671?p=1158934607746

http://www.serc.si.edu/labs/photobiology/UVIndex_calcutation.jsp

Cloud cover
Cloudy days deceive many people into thinking the danger of UV radiation is minimal. Cloud affects the strength of radiation reaching the ground in complex ways. Most clouds block some UV radiation, but the degree of protection depends on the type and amount of cloud. Some clouds can actually increase the UV intensity on the ground by reflecting and refracting the sun's rays. People can also be caught unawares when a small break in an overcast deck of clouds allows a brief burst of intense radiation to reach the ground.

The table above contains the highest expected UV Index values under various cloud conditions between about 11 am and 2 pm local time. The maximum UV Index is that expected with clear and sunny conditions. For a colour graph of the UV Index during the day, in clear sky conditions, please click the location name in the left hand column.

Definition for amount of cloud
Broken - some breaks in the cloud but more than half the sky remains covered
Overcast - sky totally covered by cloud

Weather BOFH

My wife is from Cali and she often got burned on cloudy days, happened to me when I was over there too, worst "sun" burn I ever got!