The sun and your skin

UV Index Information

(scale from 1-11+) estimates the strength of the sun's solar radiation at Solar Noon. Solar noon is when the sun's at its highest peek, which varies, depending upon where you are in the world.

The UV Index is an important measure because it serves as a guide for sun exposure, and sun damage. Any number greater than (2) requires sun protection (hats, sunscreen, sunglasses). The fairer someone's skin type is, the more careful they must be. Because the UV index takes into account such factors as altitude, cloud coverage, and time of day, it's helpful to check the UV index frequently, as conditions constantly change and you want to always take the most appropriate precautions whenever you know you're going to be exposed to the sun.

Actual UV exposure may actually be higher because of reflective surfaces (concrete, sand, snow, or water), or altitude. Concrete, sand, snow and water reflect 85% to 90% of the sun's UV rays.