select search filters
briefings
roundups & rapid reactions
before the headlines
Fiona fox's blog

expert comments about warnings about high UV levels on Thursday

The Met Office are predicting high levels of UV radiation on Thursday 25th June.

 

Dr Michaela Hegglin, Associate Professor in Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of Reading’s Department of Meteorology, said:

“Thursday is not only going to be extremely hot for the UK, but these could be some of the highest UV levels ever recorded in the British Isles.

“This is because of a combination of factors.  We are at the summer solstice, when the sun is almost directly overhead at one o’clock.  Ozone levels are very low, due to both exceptional ozone depletion this winter/spring and a high pressure system which makes the lower atmosphere ‘bulge’ upwards, reducing the amount of ozone in the stratosphere above.  There is also very little cloud cover or pollution, due to reduced air and road traffic, which can reflect or scatter UV light.

“UV levels this high are rare in the UK, so people with light skin should be very careful to avoid getting burnt.  While UV is important for getting Vitamin-D and keep us healthy, too much of it can cause skin cancer or eye cataracts.  So slip into a shirt, slop on some sun cream, and slap on a hat and sunglasses on during the hottest hours of the day!”

 

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2020/hot-spell-end-of-june

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/uv-index-forecast/#?tab=map

 

Declared interests

None received.

 

in this section

filter RoundUps by year

search by tag