Vitamin D in Australia in August: sun, UV and what to expect
Good Good. A full dose takes about 10 minutes at midday, and the usable window is about 5.7 hours a day.
5.7 hsun window (UV 2.5+)
5.3peak UV Index
10 minto a full dose
24°Cafternoon high
7/30rainy days
26/30sunny days
Best places in Australia in August: Darwin (excellent), Broome (excellent), Exmouth (excellent), Great Barrier Reef (excellent), Cairns (excellent).
Open Australia for August on the map Find stays in Australia
How long in the sun in August?
- Plan your sun session around midday (roughly 11:00 to 15:00), when the UV Index peaks at about 5.3. With about a quarter of your skin bare, a full dose takes around 10 minutes for skin type III at age 30, and about 19 minutes at age 65.
- Stop well before your skin turns pink. At this UV level skin type III can start to burn after about 38 minutes of midday sun, so cover up, find shade and use SPF 30+ on skin that stays out.
- Water, sand and light surfaces reflect UV, so at the beach you get a little more sun than the number suggests, for the good and the bad.
| Skin type | Full dose, age 30 | Full dose, age 65 | Time to burn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type I | 7 min | 13 min | 25 min |
| Type II | 8 min | 16 min | 31 min |
| Type III | 10 min | 19 min | 38 min |
| Type IV | 15 min | 28 min | 57 min |
| Type V | 20 min | 38 min | 75 min |
| Type VI | 34 min | 63 min | 2.1 h |
Minutes at midday for about 1,000 IU of vitamin D with a quarter of the body bare, at Brisbane, the median coastal place. Time to burn is the time to reach one minimal erythemal dose and does not depend on age. A rough planning guide, not medical advice.
Places in Australia in August
| Place | Rating | Sun window | Full dose | Afternoon high | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darwin | Excellent | 8.0 h | 7 min | 31°C | 1/30 |
| Broome | Excellent | 7.5 h | 8 min | 28°C | 1/30 |
| Exmouth | Excellent | 7.1 h | 8 min | 27°C | 1/30 |
| Great Barrier Reef | Excellent | 7.2 h | 8 min | 24°C | 11/30 |
| Cairns | Excellent | 7.3 h | 8 min | 25°C | 12/30 |
| Airlie Beach | Good | 6.9 h | 8 min | 23°C | 8/30 |
| Port Douglas | Excellent | 6.7 h | 8 min | 24°C | 17/30 |
| K'gari | Good | 6.2 h | 9 min | 23°C | 11/30 |
| Noosa Heads | Good | 6.0 h | 10 min | 23°C | 9/30 |
| Gold Coast | Good | 5.9 h | 10 min | 24°C | 6/30 |
| Brisbane | Good | 5.7 h | 10 min | 24°C | 7/30 |
| Byron Bay | Good | 5.4 h | 11 min | 22°C | 13/30 |
| Bondi Beach | Too cold | 4.9 h | 12 min | 20°C | 6/30 |
| Sydney | Too cold | 4.9 h | 12 min | 19°C | 7/30 |
| Adelaide | Too cold | 4.8 h | 12 min | 17°C | 14/30 |
| Melbourne | Too cold | 4.0 h | 14 min | 17°C | 8/30 |
| Perth | Too cold | 4.1 h | 12 min | 18°C | 19/30 |
| Great Ocean Road | Too cold | 3.7 h | 14 min | 16°C | 13/30 |
| Margaret River | Too cold | 3.3 h | 14 min | 16°C | 27/30 |
| Hobart | Too cold | 2.4 h | 18 min | 14°C | 13/30 |
Other months in Australia
- Jan Too cold
- Feb Too cold
- Mar Too cold
- Apr Bad weather
- May Bad weather
- Jun Too cold
- Jul Too cold
- Aug Good
- Sep Excellent
- Oct Excellent
- Nov Too cold
- Dec Excellent
Best months: August to October, December. Full Australia guide