Qatar’s UV Index: What You Need to Know

Qatar is one of the sunniest countries in the world, and we know this partly because its UV Index is so high.

One method of measuring the sun’s ultraviolent radiation is through an Ultraviolet Index (UVI), which is a scale that indicates the strength of the sun’s rays throughout the day. Anything above an 11 is considered extreme and potentially harmful to the skin, while a 0 to 2 is considered low.

Summer hasn’t quite hit here with full force just yet, but we’re already a 12 on the scale. In other words—tanners beware. Although encouraging people to hide in their homes is not the answer, we do advise that sunscreen be a priority, especially if you’re out in the middle of the day or even just sweating in your car.

Granted, people of different skin tones do tend to burn at different rates of exposure, but that doesn’t mean that UV rays cannot cause damage to unprotected skin and eyes over a period of time.

Photo Credit: cancerresearchuk.org

While indices of 9 or 10 are common in the Mediterranean, the highest it may come to in Britain is an 8, and that is an exception. In Qatar, the Index is high even during the winters. The ideal times to get ‘healthy sunlight’ is typically before 10:00 am or after 4:00 pm, although this too may vary.