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Posted: (May 24, 2008 12:25 pm)
As we are approaching beach season and Memorial Day, many people are heading out to the shore. One of the things everyone hears through the media is the concept of UV index. While most of the public has the general understanding that higher numbers corresponds to a higher threat of sun burn, most do not know exactly what it all means. This is a quick blog explaining it.
The UV index is an open-ended scale, where the higher values representing more of a risk of skin damage. A value of 0 corresponds to no UV radiation and occurs normally at night. A peak value of around 10 is generally seen in the Northern Hemisphere. However, since this is an open-ended scale, a value as high as 17 has been in Australia, where the ozone layer is more depleted than it is in the Northern Hemisphere.
Now, here is generally what the numbers mean:
0 - 2 : No danger to average person, wear sunglasses
3 - 5: Little risk of harm from unprotected sun exposure, wear sunglasses and use sunscreen
6 - 7: High risk of harm from unprotected sun exposure, wear sunglasses and sunscreen with SPF 15+
8 - 10: Very high risk of harm from unprotected sun exposure, same care as above, but take extra care
11+: Extreme risk of harm from unprotected sun exposure, take all precautions avoid sun between 10AM and 3PM
This is just something to keep in mind when you head out to the shore. Might as well protect yourself while you're out having fun!
