Vitamin D in New Zealand in January: sun, UV and what to expect
Excellent Excellent. The sun is strong for most of the day in New Zealand in January, so a full vitamin D dose takes only about 6 minutes at midday, and the usable window lasts 8.8 hours a day.
8.8 hsun window (UV 2.5+)
8.3peak UV Index
6 minto a full dose
24°Cafternoon high
15/30rainy days
26/30sunny days
Best places in New Zealand in January: Abel Tasman National Park (excellent), Paihia (excellent), Mount Maunganui (excellent), Auckland (excellent), Kaikōura (excellent).
Open New Zealand for January on the map Find stays in New Zealand
How long in the sun in January?
- Plan your sun session around midday (roughly 11:00 to 15:00), when the UV Index peaks at about 8.3. 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 9.1, 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 | 16 min |
| Type II | 5 min | 10 min | 20 min |
| Type III | 6 min | 12 min | 24 min |
| Type IV | 10 min | 18 min | 36 min |
| Type V | 13 min | 24 min | 48 min |
| Type VI | 21 min | 40 min | 80 min |
Minutes at midday for about 1,000 IU of vitamin D with a quarter of the body bare, at Auckland, 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 New Zealand in January
| Place | Rating | Sun window | Full dose | Afternoon high | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abel Tasman National Park | Excellent | 8.9 h | 7 min | 24°C | 11/30 |
| Paihia | Excellent | 8.9 h | 6 min | 25°C | 13/30 |
| Mount Maunganui | Excellent | 8.4 h | 7 min | 24°C | 13/30 |
| Auckland | Excellent | 8.8 h | 6 min | 24°C | 15/30 |
| Kaikōura | Excellent | 8.5 h | 7 min | 22°C | 12/30 |
| Coromandel Peninsula | Excellent | 8.7 h | 7 min | 25°C | 15/30 |
| Wellington | Too cold | 9.0 h | 7 min | 21°C | 7/30 |
| Queenstown | Too cold | 7.9 h | 7 min | 21°C | 13/30 |
Other months in New Zealand
- Jan Excellent
- Feb Excellent
- Mar Too cold
- Apr Too cold
- May Too cold
- Jun Too cold
- Jul Too cold
- Aug Too cold
- Sep Too cold
- Oct Too cold
- Nov Too cold
- Dec Excellent
Best months: December to February. Full New Zealand guide