Vitamin D in Australia in January: sun, UV and what to expect
Too cold Too cold here in January: afternoon highs average only 20.7°C, which is too chilly for sunbathing in light clothing. Try another month or a warmer destination.
The country rating is for a typical beach, but some places in Australia still work in January: Margaret River (excellent), Broome (excellent), Adelaide (excellent), Perth (excellent), Melbourne (excellent).
Open Australia for January on the map Find stays in Australia
How long in the sun in January?
- If you travel anyway, plan your sun session around midday (roughly 11:00 to 15:00), when the UV Index peaks at about 8.0. With about a quarter of your skin bare, a full dose takes around 7 minutes for skin type III at age 30, and about 13 minutes at age 65.
- Stop well before your skin turns pink. At this UV level skin type III can start to burn after about 25 minutes of midday sun, so cover up, find shade and use SPF 30+ on skin that stays out.
- On clear days the UV Index reaches about 9.0, which is very strong. Keep sessions short and protect the rest of the day.
- 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 | 4 min | 8 min | 17 min |
| Type II | 6 min | 10 min | 21 min |
| Type III | 7 min | 13 min | 25 min |
| Type IV | 10 min | 19 min | 38 min |
| Type V | 13 min | 25 min | 50 min |
| Type VI | 22 min | 42 min | 83 min |
Minutes at midday for about 1,000 IU of vitamin D with a quarter of the body bare, at Great Ocean Road, 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 January
| Place | Rating | Sun window | Full dose | Afternoon high | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret River | Excellent | 9.6 h | 6 min | 27°C | 2/30 |
| Broome | Excellent | 8.5 h | 6 min | 31°C | 3/30 |
| Adelaide | Excellent | 9.0 h | 6 min | 27°C | 6/30 |
| Perth | Excellent | 9.7 h | 6 min | 33°C | 0/30 |
| Melbourne | Excellent | 8.5 h | 7 min | 25°C | 9/30 |
| Hobart | Excellent | 8.4 h | 7 min | 22°C | 10/30 |
| Sydney | Excellent | 8.1 h | 7 min | 26°C | 15/30 |
| Bondi Beach | Excellent | 8.1 h | 7 min | 27°C | 15/30 |
| Exmouth | Too hot | 9.4 h | 5 min | 36°C | 0/30 |
| Great Barrier Reef | Bad weather | 7.9 h | 6 min | 30°C | 18/30 |
| Great Ocean Road | Too cold | 8.8 h | 7 min | 21°C | 11/30 |
| Airlie Beach | Bad weather | 8.7 h | 6 min | 30°C | 22/30 |
| K'gari | Bad weather | 8.6 h | 6 min | 30°C | 25/30 |
| Gold Coast | Bad weather | 8.1 h | 7 min | 29°C | 21/30 |
| Noosa Heads | Bad weather | 7.9 h | 7 min | 28°C | 24/30 |
| Cairns | Bad weather | 7.2 h | 7 min | 30°C | 24/30 |
| Port Douglas | Bad weather | 7.2 h | 7 min | 30°C | 26/30 |
| Byron Bay | Bad weather | 7.3 h | 7 min | 27°C | 22/30 |
| Brisbane | Bad weather | 7.8 h | 7 min | 29°C | 23/30 |
| Darwin | Bad weather | 6.2 h | 7 min | 30°C | 30/30 |
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