Vitamin D in Gambia in May: sun, UV and what to expect

How long in the sun in May?

• Plan your sun session around midday (roughly 11:00 to 15:00), when the UV Index peaks at about 8.5. With about a quarter of your skin bare, a full dose takes around 6 minutes for skin type III at age 30, and about 12 minutes at age 65.
• Stop well before your skin turns pink. At this UV level skin type III can start to burn after about 24 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 8.7, 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.

Minutes at midday for about 1,000 IU of vitamin D with a quarter of the body bare, at Serekunda, 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 Gambia in May

Other months in Gambia

• Jan Good
• Feb Excellent
• Mar Excellent
• Apr Excellent
• May Excellent
• Jun Excellent
• Jul Bad weather
• Aug Bad weather
• Sep Bad weather
• Oct Excellent
• Nov Excellent
• Dec Good

Best months: October to June. Full Gambia guide

Other sunny places in May

• Cape Verde: Excellent
• Honduras: Excellent
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Excellent
• Belize: Excellent
• Bahamas: Excellent
• Venezuela: Excellent

All best places for vitamin D in May