This week, the first heat wave of the year is approaching NRW. If you want to protect yourself adequately from the sun, the UV index can be a point of reference.
Germany – finally summer! After what feels like countless cold months in lockdown, most people look forward to warm sunny days. But it is well known that the sun also has its downsides. Every child already knows: the right sun protection is a must in the warm season. The so-called UV index is an indicator of when what protection is required. It can also be used to tell when sunbathing becomes particularly dangerous, reports RUHR24. *
| Federal Office for Radiation Protection | German higher federal authority in the portfolio of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. |
| founding | November 1, 1989 |
| Seat | Salzgitter, Lower Saxony |
Heat wave in NRW: UV index shows how great the risk of sunburn is
The corona numbers are falling and temperatures are rising: The first heat wave is rolling towards NRW * this week. Many are currently looking forward to carefree hours outdoors.
In order to be able to protect yourself sufficiently against harmful UV rays at the same time, there is the UV index (UVI). This is an international measure of the solar irradiance effective for sunburn.
UV index: The health risk from UV radiation depends on many factors
In other words: if you want to avoid sunburn and protect yourself from harmful rays, you can use this index as an indicator. Because the higher the UVI, the more likely it is that radiation can damage your health.
The UVI value always describes the daily peak value of sunburn-effective UV radiation expected on the ground at a location / area. It is not easy to say: the hotter, the greater the risk. Rather, the value is also dependent on the position of the sun (time of day and latitude), the cloud cover, the ozone layer and the altitude of the respective location.
Danger idex to UV radiation: weather services regularly show warning cards
The Federal Office for Radiation Protection publishes corresponding 3-day UV index forecasts for the 10 forecast areas in Germany on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from April to September. The value is also given on special weather maps from the weather services.
A corresponding map showing the UV radiation hazard index can be found, for example, at the German Weather Service or weather portals such as Wetter.de.
Better protection in the sun: WHO recommends measures according to the UV hazard index
But how do these values in the weather report help with the specific choice of sun protection? Quite simply: the UV hazard index is assigned appropriate protective measures – depending on the value.
This assignment is based on the measures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The German Weather Service offers the corresponding overview of the sun protection recommendations according to the UV index on an overview page.
The following can be seen directly here:
- With a UV hazard index of 1 and 2, protective measures are not yet required.
- From a value of 3 you should use sunscreen and sunglasses.
- From a value of 6 it becomes dangerous: In addition to measures such as sunscreen and sunglasses, the WHO advises looking for a shady spot at lunchtime.
- At the maximum value of 11 you shouldn’t be in the sun at all.
A corresponding infographic about the specific measures to protect against harmful UV rays according to the respective UV indices can also be found at the German Press Agency ( dpa ) with reference to the Federal Office for Radiation Protection:
Weather in NRW: Yona ensures hot hours of sunshine – that’s how big the danger is
As Wa.de * reports, Hoch Yona NRW is heating up this week. * Accordingly, the risk of sunburn is increased in the next three days (June 14th to June 16th) according to the UV risk index.
The UVI in NRW is between 6 and 8. Since 8 is already considered to be very high, the WHO recommends that we should not be outdoors between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. But even in the shade, sun-proof outerwear, long trousers, sunscreen and sunglasses should be part of the outfit. For example, there are special UV protective clothing with integrated UV filters for children.
By the way: towards the weekend (June 19th to 20th) the heat should get even more extreme. It is therefore worthwhile to take another look at the UV hazard map of the weather services on Friday.
# Outdoor pools in the #Ruhr area: First openings – but with # Corona restrictions #bochum #sommer #dortmund #unna https://t.co/SCpWPKy9SQ
– RUHR24 (@ RUHR24news) June 2, 2021
Vacation in the sun: The UV risk can also be displayed for the travel destination
Even those who want to go on vacation can find out about the risk of sunburn in the respective travel destination beforehand. Since the danger increases with increasing altitude, caution is advised, especially in the mountains and the Alps.
Well-known weather portals offer corresponding warning cards that show the UV index at the desired travel destination. For example, you can find an overview of the UV risk at Wetter.de for numerous countries. The weather portal Wetter.com also offers corresponding warning cards for the UV index in holiday regions such as Italy, * the Canary Islands and many other travel destinations around the world. * RUHR24 and Wa.de are part of the IPPEN.MEDIA editorial network.
List of rubric lists: © Andreas Franke / dpa
