UV Hour

UV index in Barcelona right now

1.2 UV Index
Low UV

The UV index in Barcelona is about UV 1.2 right now — the low band. Type II skin has an estimated 2 h 19 before first redness, unprotected. No level is risk-free — this is when to come in, not how long you may stay.

For the rest of today in Barcelona

UV 1.2 right now (low) · peak UV 2.2 at 18:00 · type II has about 76 min of unprotected sun before the first redness at the peak

2.2 peak today
Low UV
  • 18:00 Peak UV hour
  • 76 min Est. first redness at peak, type II
  • Not today UV stays under 3 all day
  • UV 1.2 Right now (low)
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 17:00 20:00 21:00 2.2 18:15
Protection recommended (UV 3+, WHO) UV index
Estimated minutes of unprotected sun before the first redness in Barcelona, by skin type. An estimate, not a safety limit — skin damage builds up before any redness shows.
Skin typeAt peak UV 2.2
I61 min
II76 min
III1 h 31
IV2 h 01
V2 h 32
VI3 h 02

The sun in Barcelona

Barcelona faces south-east onto the Mediterranean at 41°N, with city beaches minutes from the centre. The sea breeze is the local trap: it keeps skin cool on the sand at Barceloneta while the dose accumulates at full speed, and dry sand itself reflects extra UV onto skin that is already facing the sky.

From late May to early September the midday sun here is firmly in the high band, and the beach-city rhythm — terrace lunch, afternoon sand — puts people outside precisely through the peak hours. The classic mistake is trusting the breeze: a comfortable 24 °C afternoon on the seafront delivers the same dose as a scorching one inland.

Time to first redness at today’s peak (UV 2.2), by skin type

Estimated minutes of unprotected sun before the first redness, at UV 2.2. An estimate, not a safe allowance — skin damage builds up before any redness shows. Below 20 minutes is in red.
Skin type Before first redness
I — Always burns, never tans. 61 min
II — Burns easily, tans minimally. 76 min
III — Burns moderately, tans gradually. 1 h 31
IV — Burns rarely, tans easily. 2 h 01
V — Burns very rarely, tans very easily. 2 h 32
VI — Almost never burns, always tans. 3 h 02

Every figure is 0.667 × MED ÷ UV, the standard erythemal formula, with the Fitzpatrick minimal erythemal doses. See the full method and its sources.

Barcelona — the questions people actually ask

What is the UV index in Barcelona right now?

As of the last 15-minute refresh, the UV index in Barcelona is about 1.2 — the low band. At that level, fair skin (type II) reaches the first visible redness in about 2 h 19 unprotected. The chart on this page shows the rest of the day, hour by hour.

When do you need sun protection in Barcelona today?

The WHO recommends sun protection from UV 3 upward. On the current forecast, Barcelona stays under UV 3 today — the slowest end of the scale, not a certified-safe day. The forecast refreshes every 15 minutes.

Can you tan in Barcelona today?

The forecast peak is about UV 2.2 at 18:00, above the roughly UV 2 threshold where melanin production starts — so the skin will respond. That response is damage: there is no risk-free tan at any level. What this page gives you is the other number — about 76 min before first redness for type II at the peak — as a point to stay well under, not a target.

Why does the sun in Barcelona feel weaker than it is?

From late May to early September the midday sun here is firmly in the high band, and the beach-city rhythm — terrace lunch, afternoon sand — puts people outside precisely through the peak hours. The classic mistake is trusting the breeze: a comfortable 24 °C afternoon on the seafront delivers the same dose as a scorching one inland. Heat and UV are different quantities: the index depends on sun angle, ozone, altitude and cloud — not on temperature, and not on wind.

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