UV Index Today by City
The UV index peaks around solar noon and is driven by sun angle, altitude, cloud cover and ozone — not by air temperature, which is why people burn on cool, bright days. Pick a destination below for today's hourly UV curve, the peak value and the time it occurs.
Each city page converts the number into a decision: how long unprotected skin can stay out, when shade matters most, and which hours are safe for children, fair skin and long outdoor sessions.
What actually drives the UV index
UV intensity is governed by solar elevation, altitude, ozone column, cloud cover and surface reflection — not by air temperature. That is why people burn badly on cool, breezy spring days at altitude and on overcast summer afternoons, when thin cloud can still transmit 70–80% of UV. Snow reflects up to 80% of incoming UV and water and sand around 10–25%, effectively adding a second dose from below.
From a number to a decision
An index value is only useful once it becomes a time. A UV index of 8 burns untanned fair skin in roughly 15–20 minutes; an index of 3 takes over an hour. Each destination page converts today's hourly UV curve into unprotected burn time by skin sensitivity, marks the peak hour, and identifies the windows where shade or cover genuinely matters versus the hours that are safe for long outdoor sessions.
Featured destinations
Travel and photography destinations where this tool is most often used for planning. Every one of the 493 supported cities also has a primary weather page in the city directory.
Looking for another city?
Open the city directory — every city's primary weather page links straight into this tool.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UV index today?
Choose a destination below. Each page shows today's hourly UV index curve, the peak value and the local time it occurs, based on the destination's coordinates and elevation.
What UV index is dangerous?
Values of 3–5 mean protection is advisable, 6–7 means protection is needed, 8–10 is very high with burn times of about 15–25 minutes for fair skin, and 11 or above is extreme where unprotected skin can burn in under 10 minutes.
Can you get burnt on a cloudy day?
Yes. Broken and thin cloud transmits most of the incoming UV, and scattered cloud can briefly push UV above clear-sky values through edge reflection. Cloud lowers temperature far more than it lowers UV, which is what makes overcast days deceptive.