ARPANSA owns and maintains a network of ultraviolet radiation (UV) detectors in cities around Australia. The UV data is collected continuously by detectors that respond to UV in a manner similar to human skin and updated in this chart every minute.
UV dose is important
When we go outside on almost any day, no matter how cold or cloudy, we receive some UV exposure from the sun to our hands, face, eyes and any uncovered skin. The intensity of the UV we are exposed to and the time we are exposed for result in a UV dose. If we get too much UV in a short time we can receive a UV dose that is high enough to cause painful sunburn. The UV dose we build up over a long period of time (years) can increase our risk of cancers on our skin and cataracts in our eyes. It's important to find a balance between the small UV dose that we need to be healthy and not getting too much. Our sun exposure habits over many years, especially in childhood, and the resulting UV dose we accumulate increases the chance of us getting skin cancers in later life.
Using the UV index chart to protect yourself from the sun
If the UV index is less than 3 you can safely stay outdoors with minimal protection.
If the UV index is 3 or more we recommend you wear sun protective clothing, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and seek shade.
ARPANSA provides advice on how to best protect yourself from the sun.
How much UV exposure is too much?
When we work, play and relax outdoors in the sun it's often difficult to judge how much of a UV dose we are getting. On cool and cloudy days there is still a lot of UV reaching the ground and we often aren't aware of how much there is.
The UV Dose chart shows accumulated UV dose in units of Standard Erythemal Dose or SEDs. A very fair-skinned person can receive sunburn and skin damage from only two SEDs. Be aware that sunburn may not show on the skin for 16 to 24 hours after receiving a high UV dose.
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