Vitamin D in India in December: sun, UV and what to expect
Good Good. A full dose takes about 8 minutes at midday, and the usable window is about 6.7 hours a day.
6.7 hsun window (UV 2.5+)
6.6peak UV Index
8 minto a full dose
30°Cafternoon high
13/30rainy days
26/30sunny days
Best places in India in December: Agatti Island (excellent), Havelock Island (excellent), Kochi (excellent), Varkala (excellent), Gokarna (good).
How long in the sun in December?
- Plan your sun session around midday (roughly 11:00 to 15:00), when the UV Index peaks at about 6.6. With about a quarter of your skin bare, a full dose takes around 8 minutes for skin type III at age 30, and about 15 minutes at age 65.
- Stop well before your skin turns pink. At this UV level skin type III can start to burn after about 30 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 | 5 min | 10 min | 20 min |
| Type II | 7 min | 13 min | 25 min |
| Type III | 8 min | 15 min | 30 min |
| Type IV | 12 min | 23 min | 45 min |
| Type V | 16 min | 30 min | 61 min |
| Type VI | 27 min | 51 min | 1.7 h |
Minutes at midday for about 1,000 IU of vitamin D with a quarter of the body bare, at Alappuzha, 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 India in December
| Place | Rating | Sun window | Full dose | Afternoon high | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agatti Island | Excellent | 7.4 h | 8 min | 29°C | 6/30 |
| Havelock Island | Excellent | 7.0 h | 8 min | 30°C | 10/30 |
| Kochi | Excellent | 7.0 h | 8 min | 30°C | 12/30 |
| Varkala | Excellent | 7.3 h | 8 min | 31°C | 15/30 |
| Gokarna | Good | 6.7 h | 8 min | 32°C | 6/30 |
| Port Blair | Excellent | 7.1 h | 8 min | 30°C | 15/30 |
| Alappuzha | Good | 6.7 h | 8 min | 30°C | 13/30 |
| Goa | Good | 6.9 h | 8 min | 33°C | 2/30 |
| Kovalam | Excellent | 6.9 h | 8 min | 30°C | 16/30 |
| Mumbai | Good | 6.6 h | 9 min | 31°C | 0/30 |
| Pondicherry | Bad weather | 6.1 h | 9 min | 28°C | 19/30 |
| Mahabalipuram | Bad weather | 6.5 h | 9 min | 29°C | 19/30 |
Other months in India
- Jan Excellent
- Feb Excellent
- Mar Excellent
- Apr Too hot
- May Too hot
- Jun Bad weather
- Jul Bad weather
- Aug Bad weather
- Sep Bad weather
- Oct Bad weather
- Nov Bad weather
- Dec Good
Best months: December to March. Full India guide