UV Index Today Worldwide
Track the UV index right now, the hourly UV forecast, daily peak times, and sun protection advice for cities worldwide — free, fast, and private. No sign-up, no tracking. See what the UV index is today and tomorrow, hour by hour, for more than 200,000 cities — updated throughout the day. New: typical UV levels by month for every city — check how strong the sun gets in any season.
Understanding the UV Index Scale
Source: WHO Global Solar UV Index, 2002
Live UV index world map
The map shows the current UV index worldwide, colour-coded on the WHO scale. Press play or drag the time slider for an hour-by-hour forecast up to five days ahead.
Highest right now
from 200k+ cities · as of UTC
Why UVI.today
Pure UV Focus
Built entirely around the UV index — the one metric that matters for sun safety. Current level, hourly chart, peak time, and 5-day trend at a glance.
Fast & Lightweight
Loads instantly on any device — no sign-up, no clutter. Get your UV forecast in seconds, even on a slow connection.
Privacy First
No cookies, no user tracking, no personal data stored. All databases are self-hosted — your location data never leaves our servers.
Scientific Data
UV index from satellite-based Copernicus CAMS data (ozone, aerosols and clouds), with weather from Open-Meteo models. Protection guidance follows World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.
Understanding the UV Index Scale
The UV index is an international standard developed by the WHO to measure ultraviolet radiation intensity. It ranges from 0 (no risk) to 11+ (extreme danger). Knowing your local UV level helps you decide when and how to protect your skin and eyes.
Source: WHO Global Solar UV Index, 2002
Why Check the UV Index Daily?
UV radiation causes sunburn, premature skin aging, and increases the risk of skin cancer — the most common cancer worldwide. The UV index changes throughout the day, with seasons, and by location. Checking it before going outside helps you take the right precautions: applying sunscreen at the right time, wearing protective clothing, or simply scheduling outdoor activities when UV levels are lower.
How is the UV Index Calculated?
The UV index is calculated from satellite measurements of the ozone layer, aerosol concentrations in the atmosphere, solar elevation angle, altitude, and cloud cover. These factors determine how much ultraviolet radiation reaches the Earth's surface at a given location and time. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) uses this data to produce global UV forecasts updated twice daily, with hourly resolution for up to 5 days ahead.
Browse by continent
Explore the current UV index for major cities around the world. Click any city for a detailed hourly forecast and sun protection advice.
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Frequently asked questions about the UV index
What is the UV index?
The UV index (UVI) is an international standard measure of the strength of ultraviolet radiation from the sun at a particular place and time. It ranges from 0 (nighttime) to 11+ (extreme). Higher values mean greater risk of sunburn, skin damage, and eye injury. The UV index was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to help people protect themselves from harmful UV radiation.
How do I check the UV index for my location?
Search for your city in the box above, or allow location access — UVI.today then shows your current UV index, an hourly forecast for today and tomorrow, and the exact peak UV time, all from live CAMS satellite data. You can also open any city from the live world map or the city lists on this page.
Is there a live world map of the UV index?
Yes. The live map above shows the current UV index for the whole world, colour-coded on the WHO scale, with a time slider that plays the forecast hour by hour up to five days ahead. It updates about twice a day as new Copernicus CAMS model runs arrive.
When is the UV index highest during the day?
UV is usually strongest from about 10:00 to 16:00, peaking around solar noon when the sun sits highest. The exact peak time and strength depend on your latitude, the season, altitude, cloud cover and ozone. Open any city to see its precise peak time for today.
Where is the UV index highest in the world?
UV is strongest near the equator, at high altitude, and where the ozone layer is thin or skies are clear — regions like the Andes, Australia, southern Africa and the tropics regularly reach "extreme" (11+). The live ranking above shows where UV is highest across major cities right now.
How can I protect myself from UV radiation?
Apply broad-spectrum sunscreen, wear protective clothing and a wide-brimmed hat, seek shade during peak UV hours, and wear UV-blocking sunglasses. The WHO recommends sun protection when the UV index is 3 or above.
What does "clear-sky UV index" mean?
The clear-sky UV index shows how strong ultraviolet radiation would be if there were no clouds at all. It is calculated using the same atmospheric data — ozone column thickness, aerosol concentrations, and solar angle — but assumes completely cloudless conditions. Comparing the actual UV index with the clear-sky value shows how much clouds are reducing UV exposure at any given time. On overcast days, actual UV can be significantly lower than the clear-sky value.
Where does the UV data come from?
The hourly UV index on this site comes from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), operated by ECMWF on behalf of the European Union. CAMS calculates the UV biologically effective dose using total column ozone, aerosol optical depth, and cloud cover. The global forecast has a spatial resolution of approximately 40 km and provides hourly UV index values for up to 5 days ahead.
How often is the UV forecast updated?
The CAMS global UV forecast is updated twice daily, based on model runs initialized at 00:00 and 12:00 UTC. Weather data such as temperature, cloud cover, and sunrise/sunset times is updated every 1–6 hours depending on the region, using weather models from national meteorological services via Open-Meteo. The first 1–2 days of the forecast are typically the most accurate.
About UVI.today
UVI.today provides free UV index forecasts for any location worldwide. Our data comes from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), which uses satellite-measured ozone and aerosol data for accurate UV calculations. Weather data is sourced from Open-Meteo. Protection recommendations follow WHO guidelines. The site is operated by SimpleMeteo.
