UV Hour

UV index in Brisbane right now

0.0 UV Index
Low UV

The UV index in Brisbane is about UV 0 right now — the low band. Type II skin has an estimated over 24 h before first redness, unprotected. No level is risk-free — this is when to come in, not how long you may stay.

Today in Brisbane

UV 0 right now (low) · peak UV 5 at 12:00 · type II has about 33 min of unprotected sun before the first redness at the peak · protection recommended (WHO) 09:35–14:00

5.0 peak today
Moderate UV
  • 12:00 Peak UV hour
  • 33 min Est. first redness at peak, type II
  • 09:35–14:00 Protection recommended (UV 3+, WHO)
  • UV 0 Right now (low)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 06:00 09:00 12:00 15:00 18:00 5 protection recommended (WHO) — UV 3
Protection recommended (UV 3+, WHO) UV index
Estimated minutes of unprotected sun before the first redness in Brisbane, by skin type. An estimate, not a safety limit — skin damage builds up before any redness shows.
Skin typeAt peak UV 5
I27 min
II33 min
III40 min
IV53 min
V67 min
VI80 min

The sun in Brisbane

Brisbane is subtropical, at 27°S — closer to the equator than any European city — and the sun stays high in the sky all year. The river, the outdoor lagoons and an outdoor-first city culture keep people exposed through hours when the index is already in the bands that matter.

The honest summary is that Brisbane has no safe-feeling season: even mid-winter midday sun reaches levels that redden fair skin in under an hour, which almost no visitor from higher latitudes expects. The classic trap is the winter assumption — a mild, dry July day feels like European spring while delivering the dose of a Mediterranean summer.

Time to first redness at today’s peak (UV 5), by skin type

Estimated minutes of unprotected sun before the first redness, at UV 5. 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. 27 min
II — Burns easily, tans minimally. 33 min
III — Burns moderately, tans gradually. 40 min
IV — Burns rarely, tans easily. 53 min
V — Burns very rarely, tans very easily. 67 min
VI — Almost never burns, always tans. 80 min

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

Brisbane — the questions people actually ask

What is the UV index in Brisbane right now?

As of the last 15-minute refresh, the UV index in Brisbane is about 0 — the low band. At that level, fair skin (type II) reaches the first visible redness in about over 24 h unprotected. The chart on this page shows the rest of the day, hour by hour.

When do you need sun protection in Brisbane today?

The WHO recommends sun protection from UV 3 upward, for every skin type. On the current forecast, Brisbane is at or above UV 3 from 09:35–14:00 local time today. Outside that span the index is lower — the dose still accumulates, just more slowly.

Can you tan in Brisbane today?

The forecast peak is about UV 5 at 12:00, 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 33 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 Brisbane feel weaker than it is?

The honest summary is that Brisbane has no safe-feeling season: even mid-winter midday sun reaches levels that redden fair skin in under an hour, which almost no visitor from higher latitudes expects. The classic trap is the winter assumption — a mild, dry July day feels like European spring while delivering the dose of a Mediterranean summer. Heat and UV are different quantities: the index depends on sun angle, ozone, altitude and cloud — not on temperature, and not on wind.

Other cities we track