please empty your brain below

Good to see you guys still have some time to prepare. In Hong Kong UV index almost always reaches 12 in summer...
I wonder how this fits with many people's empirical observation that windy days are worse for sun damage.

Probably that's because when there's no wind, many people automatically stay in the shade at relevant times, because it's too uncomfortable in full sun. Whereas the immediate discomfort is much less when there's at least a nice breeze. Sunburn (unlike sunstroke or just feeling too hot) is a delayed action thing. But yes, it is a big danger for the more pale-skinned of us.
And beware thin cloud that doesn't reveal the sun - it lets through more UV than you'd assume, since you don't see any sun or shadows.
As a teacher now, I'm disappointed that school holidays are still geared around the needs of harvest time.

Your fascinating exposition confirms what I've always felt, that the second half of August is not really summer and children have been cheated of the 'best' weather.

Now, as for the August Bank Holiday, what a wash out...
When you have a spare second, could you please revisit the data and provide details as they relate to The Algarve (specifically Vilamoura) in late March/early April.

As that is where I'm heading at the end of next week.

Thank you.
Arguably, for school holidays you do not want the max UV, you want the max temperature (and August comes close for that).

Though really, you want the max "good weather index". Which is a bit subjective, but it would have to take account of rainless days. On which August scores very badly.
The flip side is that those with darker skin are recommended to take vitamin C during the winter, because they don't get enough sunlight this far north.

Surely your skin going brown is still skin damage, as I understand it skin damage is like 'miles on the clock', so that sunburn you got when you were a kid makes that area more susceptible to abnormalities when you are all grown up.

Personally I've never understood the point of sunbathing, white people waste time turning brown, whereas brown people waste money on skin lightening creams.
The referenced website says that some types of thin cloud can actually amplify the UV. I suppose that's because some of the other less harmful wavelengths get a bit shifted into the danger zone. The reverse of what happens in the phosphor coating on the inside of a fluorescent tube.
I tend to only go out in the night...so guess one less problem for me. Saying that, it not "just" the UV levels that should be of concern in London in the late Spring/Summer but the pollution/smog also?
A nice bit of number crunching DG.
I recall seeing black and white photos of the last Russian Tsar's family...clearly sunburned but probably 'healthy' looking in life. The effect of the b/w photos was to make them look dirty and unwashed like urchins. I presume this is the reason Victorians & Edwardians spent time out doors under parasols protecting every inch of their skins from exposure to sun.
I love these weather data type of posts.
Even for a pale, burns easily whitey, I am so pale my skin is almost luminous in the dark, so have long since given up on looking "healthy"!
I've also lived in hot, high altitude parts of America where I would burn in 10 minutes exposure if I wasn't careful, so my skin is probably completely screwed now!

My mother in law recently passed away in her 80s from melanomas on her leg, so, I'm keeping a close check on my skin from now on.
Do I recall some research recently about vitamin D deficiency being a problem because people are overly-using sunscreen (and/or not getting out enough to naturally absorb a sufficient amount for best metabolism?).
I am always amused at the sight of people wearing sunglasses indoors. They may think it looks cool, but what good can it possibly do? It must make them half blind.

How about a feature on sunnies, DG? Think of all the advertising income you could scoop up.
Noon is noon summer or winter; by definition noon is when the sun is directly over the meridian. It's just that we set our clocks an hour fast from March to October so we're pretending it's one hour post meridian (aka 1 pm)
Vitamin D deficiency is surprisingly common in the UK. I was diagnosed with this - an unexpected discovery while having a blood test for another issue.
My doctor told me to take VitD tablets over winter. My doctor mentioned that many of his female patients - those of Asian sub continent background - are similarly affected because the cover-all clothing combined with weak British sun means they barely get any exposure to the sun.










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