Sunshine just at the weekend? – UV Newsletter now available all week

Click on the image to view the current UV Newsletter from the BfS

Since its first edition in 2012, the UV Newsletter from the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, BfS) has enjoyed increasing popularity. The newsletter, initially designed for the media, has increasing numbers of private individuals and institutions among its subscribers.

From now on, the newsletter will be issued not only on Fridays, but also on Mondays and Wednesdays. With its 3-day UV forecast, the BfS particularly targets schools, nurseries and childcare facilities. "The foundations for careful dealings with the sun should be laid right from the early years," explains Ina Stelljes, Press Officer for the BfS. "This is why we target children and schools with our provision." Our programme includes lesson plans as well as teacher training information and the updated UV Newsletter enhances this provision.

If teaching staff are planning a day out or inter-schools sporting events are coming up, the day before is a great opportunity to give parents and children recommendations about sun protection. "Sunburn and too much UV radiation increase the risk of skin cancer," says Stelljes. "The best protection is to take suitable precautions to ensure that exposure to UV radiation is not too high." Recommended for protection outdoors are a sun hat or cap with neck protection, a T-shirt, trousers or skirt, shoes and sun cream offering sufficient protection against UV-A and UV-B radiation. And don’t forget the eyes – good sunglasses don’t just look cool, they protect against eye damage too. It is most important at midday to sit in the shade and in UV Index ratings of 8 and above, it’s best to stay in the house.

Besides being issued more frequently, the UV Newsletter offers further innovations. For a long time only a two-day forecast was given but the information now covers three days. The layout has been completely revised to make room for additional useful information. "We have now designed the newsletter to include a map of Germany with UV Index values and cloud cover forecasts. This simplifies the overview."

Those who are interested can see the new layout at www.bfs.de/uv-newsletter and subscribe to the newsletter.

Further information

What is the UV Index?

The UV Index (UVI for short) is a measure of the highest sunburn-causing radiation strength that will radiate from the sun during a day onto a horizontal surface. The UV Index can also be given as a variable rate over the day. In this case, the rising and falling UV radiation strength throughout the day is shown. The higher the UV Index, the higher the UV radiation strength that causes sunburn, the quicker unprotected skin can suffer sunburn and the more necessary it is to use sun protection.

A word of caution: on snow, on the water and on beaches with light sand, radiation levels are often higher than stated due to the reflected UV radiation.

At www.bfs.de/uv-prognose, the Federal Office for Radiation Protection publishes a UV forecast on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from April to September for the following three days. The UV forecast is an enhancement to the weather forecast.

How do I protect myself?

UV protection is recommended from a UV index of 3. This means that around midday, it is best to find a place in the shade. Furthermore, comfortable clothing offers better protection than sun cream. Together with a hat for the head and face, this offers the best protection for the skin. The eyes are best protected with sunglasses worn close to the head with lenses that filter UV radiation up to 400 nm (Demarcation "UV 400"). High sun protection factor sun cream should be applied generously and regularly to all exposed areas of skin.

From a UV index of 8, it is better to spend the hours around midday indoors. Those who must be outside should stay in the shade and protect themselves appropriately with clothing and sun cream.