THE AUSTRALIAN UV INDEX

by SIMON WEBSTER

Australians love the outdoors. With our beaches, abundance of National Parks and a healthy lifestyle we spend a lot of time outside. The downside to all this time in the sun is that Australia is the skin cancer capital of the world. At least two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70.

Also, Australia’s geographical location ensures our country receives high levels of Ultra Violet Radiation (UVR).

Over 400 000 new cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are reported each year resulting in more than 500 deaths and over 12 000 cases of melanoma of which 1500 will be fatal.

The major cause of skin cancer is exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

To assist with this the Australian Radiation Protection and Neclear Safety Agency ARPANSA have a network of ultraviolet radiation (UV) detectors in cities around Australia.

The UV data is collected continuously by detectors that respond to UV in a manner similar to human skin and updated in this chart every minute.

To view the level of UV in your city take a look at the link HERE

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