I was golfing yesterday from about 9am. Sun came out after an hour or so. Finished 1.30'ish, then was outside in a beer garden from about 2.15 - 3.30.

Didn't bother with suncream, as I've already got a reasonable tan after a decent summer and a few holidays anyway, and figuring it's September so the sun's too weak (even though I was somewhat further south than normal, in Cambridge).

And my arms, half my face (had a cap on) and a little triangle on my chest where my tshirt was open, are distinctly pink today.

So remember, kids: the sun's still strong enough to burn even in September. Be safe, be suncreamed

 

 

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Yup, also got burnt yesterday at the lads football game 🤣

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At Sydney latitudes even in the middle of winter you can get nipped by the sun if you are not careful.

However in December and January the sun is lethal here, you really have to respect it. Must say the schools here have fantastic set ups. My son often has classes in an outside shaded class room, very pleasent way to learn. They all wear smart hats and have a sun cream dispenser in every class room. 

I expect your face is a bit pink from the 10 pints of ale you put away between 2.15- 3.30

I think it depends on the person and how far north/south someone lives - people who are fair skinned will burn much more easily than someone who has 'olive' skin. The sun is only as strong as early April now, it's like yesterday I was out at lunchtime and the sun definitely is not as scorching as May/June/July. But people who are fair skinned will probably still burn even in moderate strength sun like we have now. By the last day of this month the sun strength will only be at equal value to about the 12th March. 

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If only!

I had to drive back from south Cambridge to 'Tellins. Was a case of a post-golf lunch with one measly Carlsberg.

And Medlock, I am a bit on the fair skinned side.

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I very often get one arm sunburnt when driving my car. With sun coming through the drivers window.   All times of the year.  Just have to be careful..

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The wife and I and our collies, were sat in the beer garden at the The Royal Oak, Dunsford, East Dartmoor, yesterday lunchtime and it was very warm and sunny.  Exeter, about 6 miles away, recorded a max. of 23.2c.  Did not burn though, took shelter under an umbrella and it then clouded over somwhat.,

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The earliest I've been nipped by the sun down here at 51N was on 28th February 1990. It took a good 2 or 3 hours laying on the beach angled towards the sun with good shelter and reflective surfaces around me.

As soon as March arrives the sun intensifies rapidly with increasing altitude. In most years the first burn of the season here is around 7-10th March after about 45 mins exposure.

The strangest event was that freakishly hot day on October 1st 2011 when  I sat on the beach for 6 hours with no suncream with temperatures of 29c. The sun barely touched me that day.

As a general rule of thumb here the window of tanning potential spans about 1 week on the southern hemisphere side of the equinoxes.

I make that 2 or 3 weeks more potential before the murky dull depression of eternal autumn descends for the following 20 weeks. 

 

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Whoa whoa whoa, never mind the sunburn I'm still in shock that you play golf Saint.😁

 

Why?? 

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I'm surprised that anybody would be surprised about being sun burnt in early September. You can get sun burnt in late April and that's a similar period re the sun.

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I've been slightly burnt in mid-March on the odd occasion.

 

Today, the lunchtime sun felt impressively hot on the skin, thanks to clear air (the haze is gone at last!), light winds and a 2m temperature into the 20's. If I had no idea what time of year it was, I would guess mid-August. That isn't long ago time wise, but in terms of solar input, it's a fair distance given how fast it changes mid-August to mid-October.

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The thing is it's not the temperature that burns you it's the UV content of the rays. It is possible to get burnt in the UK from about late February through to Early October. UV levels cross the 3 index by March peaking around 6 to 7 in late June. Current levels are around or just under 4 so well within the parameters where sunburn is possible. Of course as the sun falls South of the equator later this month the risk of sunburn decreases rapidly to be minimalist by mid October. These quotations are based on Southern England. Further North of course the risk of sunburn ends quicker and lasts longer into the Spring.

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Weather permitting the UV is still around 4.5 down here at this time of year. That's still strong enough to burn those with fair skin.