Now that the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays are at their strongest, the Icelandic Radiation Safety Authority reminds everyone to use sun protection when needed. This is especially important for children, as sunburn causes skin damage that can lead to skin cancer later in life, and children are more sensitive to UV radiation than adults. UV radiation has been shown to be the main cause of skin cancer.

You can protect yourself from the sun's rays in various ways, e.g. wearing scarves, hats, or other clothing, sitting in the shade, using sunscreen and limiting the amount of time you are exposed to the sun. You can also protect yourself by timing your outdoor activities with regard to how the intensity of the ultraviolet radiation varies throughout the day. The concentration is highest during the period when the sun is highest in the sky, but examples of how the concentration varies during the day can be seen e.g. on the website of the Finnish Meteorological Agency .

On our website, you can observe how the so-called UV index is currently highest on sunny days. The UV index indicates the intensity of ultraviolet radiation that can cause damage to both skin and people's eyes. If the UV factor is 3 or higher, you should protect yourself from the sun's rays, and it is good to know that the intensity of UV radiation can be high even if the weather is cool and cloudy. It should also be mentioned that e.g. sand and water reflect the UV rays, further increasing their intensity.

In the international UV app SunSmart you can see when you need to use sunscreen during the day, wherever you are in the world. The app is free to download in both the App Store and Google Play.

The Icelandic Radiation Safety Authority encourages people to monitor the UV factor on our website http://uv.gr.is/ or in the SunSmart app and to use sunscreen when the UV factor is 3 or higher.

Finally, we suggest the following educational material (in Icelandic):

• Discussion of sun protection and UV factor in Kastljós

• Interview with Birna Þórisdóttir, expert in prevention at the Cancer Society on RÚV's Morgunútvarp

• On the National Health Service's website “verum klár í sólinni“, you can find various tips that are good to review.

• At Heilsuvera, the page “Örugg í sólinni“ has useful information.

• On the Heilsuvera website, there is an article by nurse Margrét Héðinsdóttir about this topic.