UV Hour

UV index in Lisbon right now

2.8 UV Index
Moderate UV

The UV index in Lisbon is about UV 2.8 right now — the moderate band. Type II skin has an estimated 60 min 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 Lisbon

UV 2.8 right now (moderate) · peak UV 3.8 at 17:00 · type II has about 44 min of unprotected sun before the first redness at the peak · protection recommended (WHO) 17:00–17:24

3.8 peak today
Moderate UV
  • 17:00 Peak UV hour
  • 44 min Est. first redness at peak, type II
  • 17:00–17:24 Protection recommended (UV 3+, WHO)
  • UV 2.8 Right now (moderate)
0 1 2 3 4 16:00 19:00 21:00 3.8 protection recommended (WHO) — UV 3 17:16
Protection recommended (UV 3+, WHO) UV index
Estimated minutes of unprotected sun before the first redness in Lisbon, by skin type. An estimate, not a safety limit — skin damage builds up before any redness shows.
Skin typeNow (UV 2.8)At peak UV 3.8
I48 min35 min
II60 min44 min
III71 min53 min
IV1 h 3570 min
V1 h 5988 min
VI2 h 231 h 45

The sun in Lisbon

Lisbon is an Atlantic city at 38°N — the same latitude as Athens, which surprises people who come for the mild air. The ocean keeps temperatures gentle, but the light is southern: the city is built on open hills, the miradouros and the riverfront have little shade, and the pale calçada pavement bounces light back all day.

The exposed season runs from April to October, longer than the heat suggests. The classic trap is the cool ocean wind off the Tejo: it makes the sun feel weak while the UV sits at levels that redden fair northern-European skin — the city’s main visitor profile — in well under an hour at the peak. Cascais and the Caparica beaches add sand reflection on top.

Time to first redness at today’s peak (UV 3.8), by skin type

Estimated minutes of unprotected sun before the first redness, at UV 3.8. 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. 35 min
II — Burns easily, tans minimally. 44 min
III — Burns moderately, tans gradually. 53 min
IV — Burns rarely, tans easily. 70 min
V — Burns very rarely, tans very easily. 88 min
VI — Almost never burns, always tans. 1 h 45

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

Lisbon — the questions people actually ask

What is the UV index in Lisbon right now?

As of the last 15-minute refresh, the UV index in Lisbon is about 2.8 — the moderate band. At that level, fair skin (type II) reaches the first visible redness in about 60 min unprotected. The chart on this page shows the rest of the day, hour by hour.

When do you need sun protection in Lisbon today?

The WHO recommends sun protection from UV 3 upward, for every skin type. On the current forecast, Lisbon is at or above UV 3 from 17:00–17:24 local time today. Outside that span the index is lower — the dose still accumulates, just more slowly.

Can you tan in Lisbon today?

The forecast peak is about UV 3.8 at 17:00, 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 44 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 Lisbon feel weaker than it is?

The exposed season runs from April to October, longer than the heat suggests. The classic trap is the cool ocean wind off the Tejo: it makes the sun feel weak while the UV sits at levels that redden fair northern-European skin — the city’s main visitor profile — in well under an hour at the peak. Cascais and the Caparica beaches add sand reflection on top. 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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