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.
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.
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.
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.
In fact, some people believe the sun "bites" harder on the Apple Isle. The truth is that the whole of Australia experiences extreme ultraviolet (UV) levels in summer — including Tasmania.
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!
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'.
The maximum UVI of 25 is for the grid cell at 13.5° S, 172° W, centred on Cuzco in Peru. The city is at 3360 m a.s.l., with surrounding terrain extending to over 6000 m a.s.l. As the capital of the Inca empire, Cuzco seems to be well sited for sun worship.
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.
The sun's rays are strongest at the equator where the sun is most directly overhead and where UV rays must travel the shortest distance through the atmosphere.
A study published in the journal Nature has found that smoke from the 2019-20 Australian bushfires temporarily depleted the ozone layer by 3% to 5% in 2020. Smoke from the fires, which circulated around the globe, was ejected into the stratosphere, the second layer in Earth's atmosphere, by a pyrocumulonimbus cloud.
The ozone layer is depleted in two ways. Firstly, the ozone layer in the mid-latitude (e.g. over Australia) is thinned, leading to more UV radiation reaching the earth. Data collected in the upper atmosphere have shown that there has been a general thinning of the ozone layer over most of the globe.
Solariums and tanning
Today it is illegal to operate a commercial solarium anywhere in Australia. There is no such thing as a safe tan – whether from the sun or a solarium.
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.
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.
Australia gets more sunlight during the summer primarily because it is closer to the equator than the landmass of other English-speaking countries like the U.S. and the U.K. Also, the Earth is closer to the Sun in January (summer in the southern hemisphere) than it is in July (summer in the northern hemisphere).
The most lightly pigmented (European, Chinese and Mexican) skin types have approximately half as much epidermal melanin as the most darkly pigmented (African and Indian) skin types.
Australians are more exposed to higher solar UV radiation levels that accelerate signs of facial ageing than individuals who live in temperate northern countries. The severity and course of self‐reported facial ageing among fair‐skinned Australian women were compared with those living in Canada, the UK and the USA.
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).
They expressed preference for fair skin, a tradition of covering skin when outdoors, and no sunbathing culture. They believed that fair skin was more beautiful than tanned skin. They reported that beauty was the reason for active avoidance of sunlight exposure.
Svalbard is the place in Norway where the midnight sun occurs for the longest period. Here, the sun doesn't set between 20 April and 22 August. Cross the Arctic Circle and experience Norway's best-kept secret - without the hassle of driving on Lofoten's narrow roads yourself.
Tórshavn (Faroe Islands)
Tórshavn only sees around 37 days of sunshine per year, averaging around 840 hours per year.
Australia holds many heat-related records: the continent has the hottest extended region year-round, the areas with the hottest summer climate, and the highest sunshine duration.
Navigate using the sun when hiking in Australia
The sun always rises in the east and sets in the west in Australia, but not exactly due east or due west. There is some seasonal variation in the exact direction that the sun sets – the sun rises due east only two times per year (the equinoxes).