Why is sunburn worse in Australia?

Dr Ahmad Hasanien, a skin cancer expert explained that 'During summer, the Earth's orbit brings Australia closer to the sun, resulting in an additional 7% solar UV intensity. Coupled with our clearer atmospheric conditions, this means that Australians are exposed to up to 15% more UV than Europeans'.

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Why does Australia get more UV light than other parts of the world?

Australia's unusually harsh sunshine results mainly from its location in the Southern Hemisphere. The elliptical orbit of the Earth places the Southern Hemisphere closer to the sun during its summer months than the Northern Hemisphere during its summer.

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Is sunburn worse in Australia?

Taking all these factors together, southern hemisphere locations receive about 15% more UV radiation than the equivalent northern latitude location in any given year.

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Why is UV so strong in Australia?

Australia is near the equator so we experience high UV levels. time of year: our elliptical orbit around the sun and our axial tilt combine to ensure that we are closer to the sun in our summer than the northern hemisphere e.g. in summer the UK has UV Index 6–8, while Australia has UV Index 10–14.

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Does Australia have the worst UV?

As our senses cannot detect UV, overexposure may be damaging our skin and eyes without our knowledge. Australia experiences some of the highest levels of UV radiation in the world because we are close to the equator and have many clear, blue-sky days.

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What Actually Happens When You Get a Sunburn

36 related questions found

Why do Australians have low melanin?

Australia gets more ultraviolet light from sunlight than many other places do. Melanin in cells absorbs ultraviolet light and prevents it from being absorbed by other parts of the cell which can be damaged.

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Is the sun strongest in Australia?

Australia has some of the highest levels of UV radiation in the world – in fact, UV radiation is strong enough to cause sunburn in as little as 11 minutes on a fine summer day. UV radiation from the sun is also one of the best natural sources for vitamin D so a balance is important.

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Which state in Australia has highest UV?

UV problem of another kind

"Tasmania is unique with the fact that in summer it gets to extreme level, and in winter it doesn't even get to moderate," Mr Carr said.

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Does Australia still have a hole in the ozone layer?

The hole still exists but scientists project the ozone layer to return to a condition not seen since before 1980 by about 2050.

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Why Australia doesn't have ozone layer?

The stratospheric ozone layer absorbs the biologically damaging wavelengths of ultraviolet (UV) rays but in the 1970s, Australia's ozone layer was severely thinned as a consequence of heavy use of ozone-depleting, substances such as chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) and hydro-chloroflurocarbons (HCFCs).

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Is anyone immune to sunburn?

No one is immune to sunburn. Understanding your risk and taking the appropriate preventive strategies from sunburn can help prevent future skin problems.

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Which country has the strongest sun?

Figure 2 uses a modified colour scale and shows that the highest values of UVI occur in the Peruvian Andes and throughout the Altiplano region. The maximum UVI of 25 is for the grid cell at 13.5° S, 172° W, centred on Cuzco in Peru.

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How do you fix sunburn in Australia?

To ease the pain, take a cool or lukewarm bath or shower. Use paracetamol or ibuprofen to reduce pain and swelling. Drink plenty of water. Leave any blisters alone, do not break them open or pop them.

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Why does the sun set so much quicker in Australia?

Duration of the sunset

The farther a country is from the equator, the more oblique the sun's path is to the horizon, causing sunset to last for a different duration. Canberra lies on the 35th degree of southern latitude and is therefore quite far away from the equator.

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Which part of Australia has the lowest UV?

The lowest values occur in June-July where the UV Index averages less than 2 over Tasmania, increasing to almost 8-9 in far northern Australia.

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Is the sun stronger in New Zealand than Australia?

New Zealand's rather cool and temperate temperatures can easily hide the harmful effects of the sun. Yet in any season and any weather, the New Zealand sun can burn. Many people say they get more sunburned in New Zealand than anywhere else in the world, even Australia!

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Is Australian ozone layer healing?

United Nations' scientific assessment finds ozone layer is healing, 35 years after world stopped producing 'chomping' chemicals. Earth's protective ozone layer is slowly but noticeably healing at a pace that would fully mend the hole over Antarctica in about 43 years, a new United Nations report says.

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Which country has the thinnest ozone layer?

Over Antarctica, the depleted ozone layer is roughly equivalent to the thickness of a dime.

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Where is the ozone layer the thinnest in Australia?

Firstly, the ozone layer in the mid-latitude (e.g. over Australia) is thinned, leading to more UV radiation reaching the earth.

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Which city in Australia has the most sun?

Perth, Western Australia

In fact, it's officially the sunniest capital city in the world, with an average of eight hours of sun per day, year-round.

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What time of the day is UV radiation most intense in Australia?

In most parts of Australia, the UV Index reaches 11 or more in summer. Daily UV levels peak around midday (solar noon) and on clear days, are forecast to be extreme across Australia in summer.

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What is the highest UV ever recorded?

On December 29, 2003, a world-record ground-level UV index of 43.3 was detected at Bolivia's Licancabur volcano, though other scientists dispute readings higher than 26.

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Why is melanoma so common in Australia?

Basically, through migration, our two countries have been populated by many people with fair skin whose ancestors come from much less sunny climates. Lack of protective pigmentation leaves skin cells especially vulnerable to the DNA-damaging rays from the sun.

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Is the Sun stronger in Europe or Australia?

Dr Ahmad Hasanien, a skin cancer expert explained that 'During summer, the Earth's orbit brings Australia closer to the sun, resulting in an additional 7% solar UV intensity. Coupled with our clearer atmospheric conditions, this means that Australians are exposed to up to 15% more UV than Europeans'.

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Why are Australian summers so hot?

Australia's climate is governed mostly by its size and by the hot, sinking air of the subtropical high pressure belt (subtropical ridge or Australian High). This moves north-west and north-east with the seasons.

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