3.8 today in Reading would equate to 4+ on the S. Coast.  Factor 4 forecast for Saturday. Still good Vit D and a bit of tanning left in this old year!

Last Thursday reached 3.3

I think that's it for suntan potential down here now until the opening days of March...eternal autumn now beckons for a few months.

I thought it might be of interest to some if I posted a summary of the sunshine year, now that I intend to close the books on this one until 2018. Remember most of this relates to readings in Reading so is broadly representative of S. England. I have included posts of significance from other places too. Do tell me if this is not useful.

17.2.17  A lovely spell of sunshine with 1.9 on 17th and the first 2+ on 20th. Lumi Ukko popped in on 28th to make us envious of the 6s forecast for Santa Monica!

7.3.17 First 2.5, beaten again on 9th when Gusty started to tan after just 45 minutes.

13.3.17 First 3 recorded.

21.3.17 Picturesareme noted forecast of 4 for the following weekend . 

2.4.17  First 4 at Reading (repeated on 3.4) .I got red gardening & cycling.

6.4.17  Start of a 3 day run with benchmarks exceeded daily: 4.5 exceeded at reading. Helen Willetts announced unusually high UV levels for the time of year.

7.4.17 UV5 exceeded at Reading. Ben Rich explained a southward migration of an area of ozone depletion. Girthmeister got sunburnt in the garden.

8.4.17 5.5 exceeded at Reading. Whether Idle had a sunburnt nose.

21.4.17 PFCScotty noted a forecast UV6 but a max of only 10C.

5.5.17 Medlock VW burned; Larry S noted a 7 forecast for Torquay.

9.5.17 Bolty noted Manchester's 6.1

10.5.17 My skin darkened in 15 minutes & Bolty got a good tan.

11.5.17 First 6 exceeded in Reading

24-26.5.17 High UV spell, with 6.5 exceeded on all 3 days.

1.6.17 8.0 in Reading.

16.6.17 LeedsLad noted 8 forecast for Leeds.

17.6.17 An auspicious day on many fronts.

GW noted 8.1 at Chineham; this was matched at Reading & was the highest of the year. CSEngland had 8 forecast for 4 of the next 5 days.

Most amazingly, Darren (Retron) noticed a forecast of 9 in S. Devon, and 8 as far north as Durham.

Most unexpectedly, Doctormog noted a 9 expected and recorded at Belfast. I never got to the bottom of this.

18.6.17 Retron highlighted a broadbrush of 10 stations in the SW forecast a 9.

Events went quiet until:

4.8.17 UV 7.6 at Reading. Elsewhere, Retron & the wolves sweltered between thunderstorms.

20.8.17 The final 6 at Reading.

29.8.17 The final 5

13.9.17 The last 4

5.10.17 The last 3

27.10.17 (today): just reached 2.

Have a bright winter.

Admin - how can I rename a thread- or could you change this to UV index 2017?

Thanks

May was certainly a lovely month!

I've just had a look and according to DEFRA, the peak in Manchester this year was a 7.6 on 17 June.

https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/data/uv-index-graphs

Today, just a 1.3 in the feeble October sun.

Yes- again, scraped a 2 here but felt nice. Might be nice to see whose tan lasts the longest, Scott!

We slowly start to climb the curve again from today...that wheel just keeps on turning. 

Yes Steve.  It is all downhill now for 6 months.  Wonderful.

1.3 in London (no data for Reading); despite the wind on the South Downs today, turn and face the sun and I could feel it. 2 1/2 weeks post-solstice now, the sun up 5 degrees in the sky!

5 degrees ? My calculation makes it a more modest 1.1 degree climb since the winter solstice a couple of week ago. 

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/uk/london?month=1&year=2018

Thanks Steve; I made an unforgiveable error in averaging out the highest and lowest elevation angles as 46° ÷ 6, or just short of 8° per month, when of course (and I knew this actually) at the solstices, the rate of change is low on a daily basis. In compensation, it is more rapid around the equinoxes, and in February through to May, there is a measurable change daily. But why am I telling you? 

A few figures from today, along with the earliest 2 from these locations last year:

Lerwick 1.0 (26/3/17)

Inverness 1.1 (11/3/17)

Leeds 1.2  (9/3/17)

London 1.3  (2/3/17)

Gibraltar 2.8 (1/1/17)

London managed a 1.3 yesterday; the steady climb begins.

1.4 today. Could feel the difference in the sun's height-when it deemed it necessary to pop out.

Now the sun is up 5° in the sky.

Didn't take long did it !

Yes, light levels were noticeably higher today during the brief brighter spells at 1pm.

Yes, noticeable.  For me the 2 threshold points are Candelmas (Feb 2nd) and then March 7th.  Being a solar panel owner, I can attest to the latter date being a significant one, its the beginning of an 8 month long bonanza, that goes through til mid October.

7th March is the biggy. Its the time when I start tanning again. 

Not long now 

Ladies of Folkestone, BEWARE!

Don't worry Steve, you've given them a 5-week window to practise modesty!