uvlevel.net

UV index in Johannesburg

South Africa · -26.20, 28.05

Today's peak12:00 local
9

Today's peak is very high. Skin damage happens fast: roughly 19 min before burning at the worst hour. Avoid direct sun entirely inside the danger window below.

Danger window today (UV 3+)
08:34 → 16:33
Sunrise → sunset
06:0518:01
Open the live dashboard for Johannesburg

About the UV index in Johannesburg

Johannesburg sits at 26.2° S, in the southern hemisphere. Today's UV peaks at 9: the "very high" band, which uvlevel.net treats as serious danger for unprotected skin at the worst hour.

In the Southern Hemisphere at this latitude, UV climbs highest around December and January and eases, without disappearing, around June and July. Even the winter trough here can still cross the moderate band near midday.

Altitude here

Johannesburg sits about 1743 m above sea level. Thinner air scatters and absorbs less UV on the way down, so uvlevel.net adds roughly 14% to the modelled index here: uv = max(weather, CAMS) × (1 + 0.08 × metres/1000). That correction is already folded into every number on this page.

Hour by hour today

UV index for every hour of today in Johannesburg, -26.20, 28.05, local time.
Local timeUV indexRisk
00:000No danger
01:000No danger
02:000No danger
03:000No danger
04:000No danger
05:000No danger
06:000No danger
07:000.4No danger
08:001.8No danger
09:003.9Caution
10:006.2Danger
11:008.2Serious danger
12:009Serious danger
13:008.9Serious danger
14:008.1Serious danger
15:006.4Danger
16:004.3Caution
17:002No danger
18:000.4No danger
19:000No danger
20:000No danger
21:000No danger
22:000No danger
23:000No danger

Time to burn today

Time to burn without sunscreen, per Fitzpatrick skin type, at today's peak of UV 9 in Johannesburg. Real-world sunscreen use is about a third of the tested layer, so a treated time is a ceiling, not a promise.
Skin typeTime to burn
I · always burns, never tans15 min
II · burns easily19 min
III · burns sometimes26 min
IV · rarely burns33 min
V · brown skin44 min
VI · deeply pigmented1 h 14 min

Next 7 days · daily peak

Today
08:3416:33
9
Wed 16
08:1916:34
11.1
Thu 17
08:2416:35
10.3
Fri 18
08:3016:30
10.1
Sat 19
08:2816:16
9.1
Sun 20
08:2813:43
8.3
Mon 21
08:4415:39
6.3

Frequently asked

Is the UV index dangerous in Johannesburg today?

Yes. UV in Johannesburg is forecast to reach 3 or higher from 08:34 to 16:33 local time today, peaking at 9.

What time is UV highest in Johannesburg?

UV is highest in Johannesburg at around 12:00 local time today, reaching 9.

How long can unprotected skin stay out in Johannesburg today?

At today's peak of 9, fair skin (Fitzpatrick type II) with no sunscreen burns in about 19 min. Darker skin types take longer. See the table above for every type.

Does the UV index in Johannesburg change with the seasons?

In the Southern Hemisphere at this latitude, UV climbs highest around December and January and eases, without disappearing, around June and July. Even the winter trough here can still cross the moderate band near midday.

Nearby cities

Browse all cities →Burn-time guide →How the forecast works →

Forecasts and elevation from Open-Meteo. The second UV opinion contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) information; neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for how it is used here.

uvlevel.net gives general sun-safety guidance, not medical advice. Photosensitising medication, skin conditions, infants and a history of skin cancer all call for stricter limits than shown here.