Vitamin D in France in February: sun, UV and what to expect
Too cold Too cold here in February: afternoon highs average only 15.8°C, which is too chilly for sunbathing in light clothing. Try another month or a warmer destination.
2.8 hsun window (UV 2.5+)
3.0peak UV Index
18 minto a full dose
16°Cafternoon high
6/30rainy days
25/30sunny days
How long in the sun in February?
- If you travel anyway, plan your sun session around midday (roughly 11:00 to 15:00), when the UV Index peaks at about 3.0. With about a quarter of your skin bare, a full dose takes around 18 minutes for skin type III at age 30, and about 33 minutes at age 65.
- Stop well before your skin turns pink. At this UV level skin type III can start to burn after about 67 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 | 12 min | 22 min | 44 min |
| Type II | 15 min | 28 min | 56 min |
| Type III | 18 min | 33 min | 67 min |
| Type IV | 27 min | 50 min | 1.7 h |
| Type V | 36 min | 67 min | 2.2 h |
| Type VI | 59 min | 1.9 h | 3.7 h |
Minutes at midday for about 1,000 IU of vitamin D with a quarter of the body bare, at Saint-Tropez, 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 France in February
| Place | Rating | Sun window | Full dose | Afternoon high | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ajaccio | Too cold | 3.4 h | 16 min | 14°C | 8/30 |
| Porto-Vecchio | Too cold | 3.0 h | 17 min | 16°C | 6/30 |
| Bonifacio | Too cold | 3.1 h | 17 min | 15°C | 8/30 |
| Marseille | Too cold | 3.0 h | 17 min | 16°C | 5/30 |
| Nice | Too cold | 2.9 h | 18 min | 14°C | 4/30 |
| Cassis | Too cold | 2.8 h | 17 min | 16°C | 5/30 |
| Saint-Tropez | Too cold | 2.8 h | 18 min | 16°C | 6/30 |
| Cannes | Too cold | 2.7 h | 18 min | 16°C | 9/30 |
| Antibes | Too cold | 2.7 h | 18 min | 16°C | 9/30 |
| Biarritz | Too cold | 2.5 h | 18 min | 14°C | 9/30 |
| La Rochelle | Too cold | 1.4 h | 21 min | 13°C | 13/30 |
| Saint-Malo | Too cold | 0.4 h | – | 12°C | 13/30 |
Other months in France
- Jan Too cold
- Feb Too cold
- Mar Too cold
- Apr Too cold
- May Too cold
- Jun Excellent
- Jul Excellent
- Aug Good
- Sep Good
- Oct Fair
- Nov Too cold
- Dec Too cold
Best months: June to September. Full France guide