21st & 22nd June 2016 - Very High UV
Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2016 6:20 pm
After the summer so far having daily UV maximum levels generally meandering around the 6.5 to 7.5 they have suddenly leapt to 9.5 for both yesterday and today. These are the highest UV levels I have recorded since my highest all time level of 10.0 on the 14th July 2014 (under similar conditions).
I believe many people would have been surprised to see the UV so high given the covering of cirrus and cumulus cloud and banks of sea fog rolling in. But it is exactly under these warm sector conditions with the associated fog and haze that the UV reaches these extreme levels.
Counter-intuitively, my lowest UV levels are recorded when the sky is deep blue and cloudless, usually under returning maritime polar air.
The Met Office UV forecast today for here was just 5. They seem to base their forecast upon expected cloud cover, i.e., a clear sky will give the highest UV and vice-versa. It really is rubbish and totally misleading and you would expect better from a world leading meteorological organisation.
The amount of people I met today with sunburnt faces says it all. In such conditions as today, down on the beach without protection would lead to serious sunburn in very little time, especially for fair skin.
I believe many people would have been surprised to see the UV so high given the covering of cirrus and cumulus cloud and banks of sea fog rolling in. But it is exactly under these warm sector conditions with the associated fog and haze that the UV reaches these extreme levels.
Counter-intuitively, my lowest UV levels are recorded when the sky is deep blue and cloudless, usually under returning maritime polar air.
The Met Office UV forecast today for here was just 5. They seem to base their forecast upon expected cloud cover, i.e., a clear sky will give the highest UV and vice-versa. It really is rubbish and totally misleading and you would expect better from a world leading meteorological organisation.
The amount of people I met today with sunburnt faces says it all. In such conditions as today, down on the beach without protection would lead to serious sunburn in very little time, especially for fair skin.