Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes wrinkles and skin and eye damage, ultimately leading to skin cancer.
UV cannot be seen or felt. It is not like the sun’s light which we see, or the sun’s warmth (infrared radiation) which we feel. Our senses cannot detect UV so it can be damaging without us knowing. There is a huge variation in UV levels across Australia. The UV level is affected by a number of factors including the time of day, time of year, cloud cover, altitude, proximity to the equator, scattering and reflection.
The free SunSmart app tells you when sun protection is recommended for your location using forecast information from the Bureau of Meteorology website and live UV data from ARPANSA.
What does the App do?
- Personalisation: Download the app and personalise it with your natural skin type, height, weight, age, gender and set your location for anywhere in Australia.
- Reminders: Set up a sun protection alert and receive daily reminders for the times of day when UV reaches a level that can damage your skin and eyes, as well as two-hour reminders to re-apply sunscreen.
- Sunscreen calculator: Use the sunscreen calculator to find out how much sunscreen you need to apply, taking account of your size and clothing.
- Vitamin D tracker: Find out how much UV exposure you need for vitamin D.
- Seven-day weather forecast: Check the weather for the week ahead for any location in Australia.
