As the largest organ in the human body, our skin has a lot of surface area for the potential development of health conditions. NREL [1] The purpose of the UV index is to help people effectively protect themselves from UV radiation, which has health benefits in moderation but in excess causes sunburn, skin aging, DNA damage, skin cancer, immunosuppression,[2] and eye damage, such as cataracts. Exposure to high amounts of ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun may give you that great tan youve been after all summer, but it can also dramatically increase your risk of developing skin cancer. Heraklion, Greece has an average UV index of 12. This means that there is a high risk of skin damage from prolonged exposure to sunlight. Current evidence indicates that personal habits in relation to sun exposure constitute the most important individual risk factor for UV radiation damage. On Dec. 29, 2003, a world-record UV index of 43.3 was detected at Bolivia's Licancabur volcano. Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data. A tan results from your body defending itself against further damage from UV radiation. The maps below show monthly average UV Index values for the United States. Learn more about the UV Index. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. Divided into three different classes based on their wavelengths, UVA, UVB, and UVC rays can permeate into our skin to different depths (4). WebThe Cancers Attributable to UV Radiations. If you dont feel the hot rays of the sun you wont get sunburnt. The top 20 countries for skin cancer diagnoses (and their average summer UV index) are (7): #1 Australia (average UV index of greater than 12), #2 New Zealand (average UV index of greater than 11), #3 Norway (average UV index of 5 or less), #4 Denmark (average UV index of 6 or less), #5 Netherlands (average UV index of 5 or less), #6 Sweden (average UV index of 5 or less), #7 Germany (average UV index of 5 or less), #8 Switzerland (average UV index of 8 or less), #9 Belgium (average UV index of 7 or less), #10 Slovenia (average UV index of 8 or less), #11 Luxembourg (average UV index of 7 or less), #12 Ireland (average UV index of 6 or less), #13 Finland (average UV index of 5 or less), #14 The United Kingdom (average UV index of 8 or less), #15 (tied) Austria and France (average UV index of 7 and 6, respectively), #17 United States (average UV index of 9-10 depending on the state), #18 Czech Republic (average UV index of 7 or less), #19 (tied) Canada and Italy (average UV index of 6 and 9, respectively). Aside from the geographical location of where we live, cultural practices always play a major role in our sun protection practices and ideologies. UV rating 8-10 At this very high rating of UV exposure, you can sustain a sunburn in less than 15 minutes. Ground reflection: grass, soil and water reflect less than 10% of UV radiation; fresh snow reflects as much as 80%; dry beach sand about 15% and sea foam about 25%. Small amounts of UV radiation are beneficial to people, and play an essential role in the production of vitamin D. However, overexposure to UV radiation is responsible for two major public health problems: skin cancer and cataract. Ozone depletion, as well as seasonal and weather variations, cause different amounts of UV radiation to reach the Earth at any given time. Summer-time values in Northern latitudes rarely exceed 8. By making global pledges to reduce the use of ozone-depleting substances, the world's leading countries can decrease our impact on the ozone layer, and in turn, reduce skin cancer cases. A global UV index, first standardized by the World Health Organization and World Meteorological Organization in 1994,[17] gradually replaced the inconsistent regional versions, specifying not only a uniform calculation method (the Canadian definition) but also standard colors and graphics for visual media. If you need to go back and make any changes, you can always do so by going to our Privacy Policy page. (To find the time of solar noon at your location, use the sunrise-sunset-solar noon calculator at the NOAA website.). NASA Earth Observations is part of the EOS Project Science Office located at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center The UV index values are grouped into five Capable of causing a severe sunburn in under 10 minutes, it is advised that you take all precautions possible to limit your exposure to the sun at this UV rating. [15][16] Many other countries followed suit with their own UV indices. Typical UV Index values for a range of cities worldwide are specified for the 21st of each month based on calculations with the radiation transfer model STAR. 20 Skin Cancer Hot Spots In The WebThe first month of the spring, March, is also a hot month in Panama City, Panama, with an average temperature ranging between max 34.8C (94.6F) and min 18.4C (65.1F). WebThe monthly average maps use the same color scale and class breaks as the annual average map for the contiguous United States for the purpose of showing monthly variation relative to the annual average. Predictions are made by a computer model that At these levels there is an increased risk of skin damage, and protective measures are recommended. Exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation Exposure to solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation . Vital Graphics Series. This indicator provides state-level data on laws regarding sunscreen use in schools and indoor tanning restrictions for individuals younger than 18 years. Some ZIP Codes may not be in our database. Africa; UV radiation is generally lower during the winter months, but snow reflection can double your overall exposure, especially at high altitude. UV Index Sunburn is caused by UV radiation which cannot be felt. A special, https://www.epa.gov/developers/data-data-products-envirofacts-uv-index-widget, Download the free UV Index smartphone app. To best protect yourself, it is recommended that people avoid any sun exposure from 10 am - 2 pm when the risk for high UV exposure is at its highest. The immune system is vulnerable to modification by environmental agents such as UV radiation, which appears to diminish the effectiveness of the immune system by changing the activity and distribution of the cells responsible for triggering immune responses. UV radiation reaching the Earth's surface is largely composed of UVA with a small UVB component. UV rating 3-5 At this moderate UV index level, a sunburn can occur in 30-45 minutes in any skin that is not protected. The UV Index is accompanied by recommendations for sun protection and is a useful tool for planning While the two countries have different baseline UV intensity requirements before issuing an alert, their common goal is to raise awareness of the dangers of over-exposure to the Sun on days with intense UV radiation. Predictions are made by a computer model that Step 2: Check out the recommended sun protection. Moderate mean UVI values occur between 30 and 48 N and high UVI south of 35 N. Additionally, very high mean UVI up to 7.8 are detected south of 32 N. Figure 3. National Environmental Public Health Tracking, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An index of 10 corresponds roughly to midday summer sunlight with a clear sky when the UV index was originally designed; now summertime index values in the tens are common for tropical latitudes, mountainous altitudes, areas with ice/water reflectivity and areas with above-average ozone layer depletion. July. Acute effects of UV radiation on the eye include photokeratitis, an inflammation of the cornea and iris, and photoconjunctivitis, an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the membrane that lines the inside of the eyelids. While the levels of UV radiation vary during the day, they reach a maximum around mid-day. Index May. UV index worldwide Africa; The protection they afford depends critically on their correct application. On Dec. 29, 2003, a world-record UV index of 43.3 was detected at Bolivia's Licancabur volcano. The index is a scale of 0 to 16+, with 0 representing minimal UV exposure risk and values higher than 11 posing an extreme risk. To help protect people from potentially harmful levels of UV exposure, the UV index was created to provide daily guidelines for sun safety (6): UV rating 1-2 While this is the lowest rating, protection is still necessary. The recommendations below are for average adults with lightly tanned skin[citation needed] (Fitzpatrick scale of skin colour: Type II). From The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/why-does-australia-have-so-much-skin-cancer-hint-its-not-because-of-an-ozone-hole-91850, Excess skin cancer cases due to ozone depletion, United States, 2000-2100 from Our World in Data: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/excess-skin-cancer-cases-due-to-ozone-depletion?country=~USA. The maps below show monthly average UV Index values for the United States. It is primarily used in daily and hourly forecasts aimed at the general public. Countries close to the equator can experience very high UV levels in the middle of the day throughout the year. To installthe widget on your page:https://www.epa.gov/developers/data-data-products-envirofacts-uv-index-widget. Typical UV Index values for a range of cities worldwide are specified for the 21st of each month based on calculations with the radiation transfer model STAR. Official websites use .gov Out of the 50 holiday hotspots, Sri Lanka has the most dangerous radiation level, with an average score of 11.75[4]. UV Index Air monitoring at Schauinsland measuring station. What Climate Change Means for Glaciers, Storms, Fires, Clouds, and More. It is created daily by the National Weather Service. If sun protection is required, this should include all protective means, i.e. The graphics package can be downloaded from the web site of INTERSUN, the Global UV Project, at http://www.who.int.uv/. The amount of UV radiation that you are exposed to throughout the day can be affected by your geographic location and the weather forecast each day. Sunlight/UV Vulnerability and Preparedness. How can the UV index help me to protect myself? U.S. January Solar DNI Average. This indicator provides state and county level data on monthly and annual average exposure to sunlight. Because of the cultural value of fair skin, no Asian countries place in the skin cancer top twenty list, despite their geographical location and average higher UV indexes. WebWhen the UV index is presented on a daily basis, it represents UV intensity around the sun's highest point in the day, called solar noon, halfway between sunrise and sunset.This typically occurs between 11:30 and 12:30, or between 12:30 and 13:30 in areas where daylight saving time is being observed.

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