How to check the UV index

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There is nothing like a beautiful sunny day, But you can end up with a stabbing pain if you're not careful. Using sunscreen and knowing when the sun is strongest can help with that.. UV index makes it easier to understand.

What is the UV index?

The “ultraviolet index”, also known as UV index, is the measurement standard for ultraviolet radiation (UV). People don't think that the sun emits radiation, but that's exactly what is happening. UV radiation is what burns your skin.

The UV index scale goes from 0 (minimal risk) a 11+ (very high risk). These numbers change throughout the day. Early in the morning, when the sun is low, the index is around 1-2. At noon, when the sun is straight up and hitting down, the index can be 8-11 +.

This scale is based on how quickly a person with fair skin would burn. “Type 2”. A UV index of 0-2 means that most people can stay in the sun for up to an hour without burning. A higher UV index of 6-7 means they will burn out in less than 20 minutes.

There are many other variables to consider, like cloudiness, shade and sunscreen. What you should know is that a high UV index means that the sun is dangerous and you should limit your exposure and use some form of protection.

How to check the UV index

If you have a weather app on your phone, it is very likely that it can tell you the UV index. This is the most convenient way to verify, and that will ensure that you truly check it out before you go out in the sun.

De Apple Weather app, that comes pre-installed on the iPhone and iPad, includes UV index. Open the app at your current location and scroll to the bottom of the screen to see the UV index.

IPhone Weather UV Index.

At the same time, if you own an Apple Watch, the clock face “Infographics” also shows the UV index. You can add this complication to any watch face.

Infographic clock face on Apple Watch.

Android devices do not have a standard weather application, but there is a weather web app built into Google Search. Just open the Google app and look for “climate”. The result will be for your location and you can expand the result to see the UV index.

Google App UV Index.

Apple and Google are getting this information from The Weather Channel, which also has an application for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. Include the UV index in its section “device and search” and in the hourly forecast.

Weather Channel App UV Index.

Weather apps are great for checking UV index, but you can take it to the next level with a dedicated app. The advantage of a UV index app is the notifications and the ability to adjust the index to your skin type.

One of our favorite UV index apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android it is “UVLens”. After giving you your location, you will see an easy to read dial showing the current UV index. You can scroll the dial to see the ranking of other times throughout the day.

UVLens start dial.

The eyelash “My skin” it's where things get really cool. Enter your eye color, skin color and hair color and uses that information to tell you how long it will take to burn out. Tap the bottle of sunscreen and you can even see how long the protection will last and receive reminders to reapply.

Skin information on UVLens.

With all these tools at your disposal, there's no reason to get a painful sunburn again. Take advantage of the good weather and stay safe in the procedure.

RELATED: How to listen to a weather forecast with your alarm on Android

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