Your UV index recordings in the UK & everything else UV related

[ARW WeatherMan]

I realised we talk a lot about the weather generally, on here and across the UK but one thing that is rarely mentioned is the UV index so my first question is; Do you guys know whether we have ever recorded a UV index of 9 here in the UK? 

I see many places as far north as Nottingham will be hitting 8 next week provided there are clear skies and many times I've known the UV to hit 8 in London, most years we get atleast 7-10 days I'd say but surely somewhere on the south coast will have hit 9 on a few accasions.

I also regularly check www.temis.nl which gives a clear sky UV index forecast which over many years I've come to realise is generally is out by 1UV. They are forecasting 7.5 in London next week which if I'm right would mean 8.5 and surely the south coast could hit 9 by that reasoning? Any thoughts or facts would be interesting to hear. Thankyou 

Edited June 16, 2018 by ARW WeatherMan

[CheesepuffScott]

I haven't seen an 8 in a while, usually 7 max. I don't know if we've ever reached 9 here!

[Mapantz]

According to the Met Office, UV does not exceed 8 in the UK, and 7 may occur on exceptional days.

Edited June 16, 2018 by Mapantz
typo

[Midlands Ice Age]

1 minute ago, Mapantz said:

According to the Met Office, UV does not exceed 8 in the UK, and 7 is may occur on exceptional days.

This week is our best chance reaching the 9 figure as the sun is 'highest' of the year.

MIA

[Mokidugway]

Have experienced 12 in high Himalayan adventures ,your lips go purple

[Mapantz]

3 minutes ago, Midlands Ice Age said:

This week is our best chance reaching the 9 figure as the sun is 'highest' of the year.

MIA

True. At the moment, it's looking a cloud-fest here, next week. Both the Met Office and Temis have me down for an index of 7.

The other factor is ozone amounts.

Edited June 16, 2018 by Mapantz

[ARW WeatherMan]

I have spent a lot of time over the years trying to find reliable UK recorded UV data but it is very few and far between 

I'm sure if it was recorded daily across all stations like temperatures are then a UV of 9 would have been recorded somewhere along the south

[ARW WeatherMan]

6 minutes ago, Mokidugway said:

Have experienced 12 in high Himalayan adventures ,your lips go purple

The highest ever recorded was 43.3 in Bolivia on an active volcano. Can't imagine how quickly you would burn in them conditions

https://www.livescience.com/46701-andes-highest-uv-index-measured.html

[Mokidugway]

2 minutes ago, ARW WeatherMan said:

The highest ever recorded was 43.3 in Bolivia on an active volcano. Can't imagine how quickly you would burn in them conditions

https://www.livescience.com/46701-andes-highest-uv-index-measured.html

I was there in January fortunately it was dusty  

[MP-R]

I don't know how reliable it is, but the UV reader on a fairly local Davis VP2 station returns a few 9 readings every year, and plenty of 8s. The 9 readings are always when the weather comes from between S and W with continental airmasses having slightly lower readings.

[ARW WeatherMan]

34 minutes ago, MP-R said:

I don't know how reliable it is, but the UV reader on a fairly local Davis VP2 station returns a few 9 readings every year, and plenty of 8s. The 9 readings are always when the weather comes from between S and W with continental airmasses having slightly lower readings.

Interesting! Must be due to cleaner air from the Atlantic 

[Evening thunder]

I recall a few April's ago (possibly 2015?) there were higher than usual UV readings for the time of year with 6's and 7's recorded. The Met Office released something about this even though their forecasts were just giving 4's and 5's still.

The higher UV was shown on www.temis.nl due to a 'plume' of lower ozone concentration from the SW. I had noticed the site seemed to show more variation in clear-sky UV due to ozone variability, however the Met Office forecasts looked more as if they just use the normal UV for the time of year and expected cloudiness. Can't say if that really was the case though, and they could have improved now.

Given that I'd have thought 9 could have been recorded before but don't know how I'd find out. A nearby Davis stations with a UV sensor show 7.8 as the highest this year (accuracy unknown).

 

[ARW WeatherMan]

7 hours ago, Evening thunder said:

I recall a few April's ago (possibly 2015?) there were higher than usual UV readings for the time of year with 6's and 7's recorded. The Met Office released something about this even though their forecasts were just giving 4's and 5's still.

The higher UV was shown on www.temis.nl due to a 'plume' of lower ozone concentration from the SW. I had noticed the site seemed to show more variation in clear-sky UV due to ozone variability, however the Met Office forecasts looked more as if they just use the normal UV for the time of year and expected cloudiness. Can't say if that really was the case though, and they could have improved now.

Given that I'd have thought 9 could have been recorded before but don't know how I'd find out. A nearby Davis stations with a UV sensor show 7.8 as the highest this year (accuracy unknown).

 

Yes remember it well because I got very burnt! 

[❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️]

18 hours ago, ARW WeatherMan said:

The highest ever recorded was 43.3 in Bolivia on an active volcano. Can't imagine how quickly you would burn in them conditions

https://www.livescience.com/46701-andes-highest-uv-index-measured.html

As quick as 3 minutes! 

http://m.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=UV+Index+43+sunburn

[ARW WeatherMan]

4 hours ago, RAIN RAIN RAIN said:

As quick as 3 minutes! 

http://m.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=UV+Index+43+sunburn

That's crazy! Imagine just stepping outside and within 30 seconds I'd be blackened! 

[ARW WeatherMan]

Leeds almost hit 9 yesterday according to reports!

[MP-R]

And the aforementioned local station to me got to 8.3 today.

[ARW WeatherMan]

13 hours ago, MP-R said:

And the aforementioned local station to me got to 8.3 today.

Being around the summer solstice and sunny most of next week I shall be keeping a close eye on the reading over the next week or so! Fingers crossed somewhere reaches 9!

[Frost HoIIow]

Met Office going for a UV of 8 up here in Oldham on Friday and next week. That's a pretty strong sun!

[J10]

https://www.wunderground.com

shows a lot of amateur weather stations, some of which have built-in UV measurements.

https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=IOLDHAMC2#history/s20180614/e20180621/mweek (Oldham)

Admittedly some of these reading should be taken with a pinch of salt, but if local stations tend to agree with each other, then they might not be that far off the mark. 

Edited June 21, 2018 by J10

[ARW WeatherMan]

18 hours ago, J10 said:

https://www.wunderground.com

shows a lot of amateur weather stations, some of which have built-in UV measurements.

https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=IOLDHAMC2#history/s20180614/e20180621/mweek (Oldham)

Admittedly some of these reading should be taken with a pinch of salt, but if local stations tend to agree with each other, then they might not be that far off the mark. 

Just looked and Oldham is current 6.9! Still got an hour till it reaches its peak

[ARW WeatherMan]

Monday mid day is showing highs of 8 in Scotland!

[MP-R]

Currently just above 7 here. Sun certainly feels strong.

[Methuselah]

Judging from how blue the sky is (I have no access to any real measurements) I can't imagine UV levels being much higher than they are today...Anyone lying on beaches - especially if they [the beaches] are made of white sand - need take special care?

[ARW WeatherMan]

1 hour ago, Ed Stone said:

Judging from how blue the sky is (I have no access to any real measurements) I can't imagine UV levels being much higher than they are today...Anyone lying on beaches - especially if they [the beaches] are made of white sand - need take special care?

Yes definately! A UV index of 8 in your back garden on grass will be a UV index of 8 

If you're on the beach with the sea and sand then up to 30% of that UV will be reflected back off the ground/water so you'll be looking at 9/10 regardless of what the meter is reading.