What is the UV index?

The UV index measures the strength of the sun's ultraviolet radiation at the Earth's surface on a scale from 0 (no risk) to 11+ (extreme). In Australia, UV regularly reaches 11+ in summer — among the highest in the world.

When is UV highest in Australia?

UV is strongest between 10am and 3pm AEST/AEDT, typically peaking around solar noon. Levels are highest in summer (December–February) and across northern Australia year-round.

Can you get sunburnt when the UV index is below 3?

Skin damage from UV is unlikely when the index is below 3, so sun protection generally isn't required. However, people with very fair skin or those on photosensitising medication should still take care.

What UV level requires sun protection?

Cancer Council Australia and ARPANSA recommend sun protection (SPF 50+ sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, protective clothing, shade) whenever the UV index reaches 3 or higher.

How accurate is the UV index forecast?

Forecasts use validated solar radiation models (Open-Meteo, ARPANSA, ECMWF) and are accurate to within ±1 UV unit under clear skies. Heavy cloud, smoke or haze can lower actual UV by 20–80%.

Does cloud cover block UV radiation?

No — up to 80% of UV passes through light cloud cover. You can still get sunburnt on overcast days, especially when the forecast UV is 6 or higher.

Hervey Bay UV Index — Live Readings & Forecast

Name: UV index observations and forecast — Hervey Bay
Creator: Open-Meteo
License: https://open-meteo.com/en/license

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Live UV index — Hervey Bay

Current UV reading and outlook for the next 12 hours. Data refreshes hourly from Open-Meteo.

Nearby UV pages

Compare Hervey Bay's UV reading with other centres in Queensland.

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Visit our local weather forecast page, search for your town or suburb, and UV information will be shown alongside the weather for that location.

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7-day UV forecast — Hervey Bay

Daily peak UV index for the next week. Sun protection is required whenever UV reaches 3 or above.

Hervey Bay, gateway to Fraser Island (K'gari), sits at 25.3°S in Queensland's Wide Bay-Burnett region and records sustained year-round extreme UV. The UV index routinely reaches 12–13 from September through April, and remains in the very high band (8+) through winter. The town's outdoor lifestyle — whale-watching, Urangan Pier, beach walks — exposes residents and visitors to long-duration UV doses, with reflected radiation from sand and water adding up to 25% to direct readings. Cancer Council Queensland highlights the Wide Bay region's elevated melanoma rates as a direct outcome of underestimated subtropical UV. ARPANSA recommends the SunSmart five whenever the UV index reads 3 or higher, which in Hervey Bay applies to every daylight hour for most of the year. Live UV updates hourly on this page from Open-Meteo.

Peak UV season in Hervey Bay: year-round, peaking September to April.

UV Index Scale & Sun Protection

Low (0–2)
No protection required
Moderate (3–5)
Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
High (6–7)
Protection essential, seek shade midday
Very High (8–10)
Extra protection, avoid sun 10am–4pm
Extreme (11+)
Stay indoors when possible

Scale follows the WHO/ARPANSA Global Solar UV Index. Source: ARPANSA & Cancer Council Australia.

Sun protection in Hervey Bay

Cancer Council and ARPANSA recommend the SunSmart five whenever the UV index reaches 3: slip on protective clothing, slop on SPF 50+ sunscreen, slap on a broad-brimmed hat, seek shade and slide on sunglasses. UV is invisible and unrelated to temperature — cool, overcast days in Hervey Bay can still deliver a sunburn dose because up to 80% of UV penetrates light cloud.

National UV index hub →7-day Australian UV forecast →UV index Queensland →Hervey Bay weather hub →

UV Index Hervey Bay — FAQs

UV data: Open-Meteo. Reference guidance: ARPANSA, Cancer Council Australia, Bureau of Meteorology.