Highest UV Index in Australia
Australia is famous for extreme UV risk, and it's well-deserved. The country's latitude (15S to 44S), atmospheric clarity, and high altitude in many inland locations mean intense solar radiation reaches the ground year-round. Some cities receive UV levels that match tropical equatorial locations, and even Tasmania's "safer" UV is intense by global standards.
We use solar radiation (MJ/m2) as a proxy for UV exposure. While not identical to UV index, solar radiation correlates strongly with UV risk and indicates the intensity of sunlight reaching the surface. Higher solar radiation means higher UV exposure.
Australia leads the world in UV exposure. Even Australian cities in the bottom 50% for UV would rank among the sunniest, most dangerous places in the Northern Hemisphere. The inland red centre receives UV levels matching equatorial locations because of altitude, latitude, and minimal cloud cover. Australians of all latitudes require serious sun protection year-round.
Full Rankings
Click any column header to re-sort. Data from Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (2024).
| Rank | City | State | Avg Daily UV | Peak Month | Winter Low | Seasonal Var |
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Understanding the Rankings
Solar radiation and UV exposure are linked: more total solar energy reaching the ground correlates with higher UV levels. Alice Springs, with average daily solar of 22 MJ/m2, represents extreme UV conditions. At such exposure, unprotected skin burns in minutes, and cumulative exposure creates serious melanoma and cataracts risk.
Interestingly, even Australian winter brings significant UV. The lowest-UV months in inland cities still exceed peak summer levels in many temperate countries. This is why skin cancer is such a major public health issue in Australia: UV is relentless year-round.
The seasonal variation shows that summer (December-January) peaks across the continent, but even winter months deliver UV exposure that would be dangerous in most other countries. Tropical cities like Cairns show minimal seasonal variation. The sun stays intense and directly overhead all year.
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About This Data
All weather data comes from the Open-Meteo Historical Weather API, which combines official weather station observations with reanalysis models to provide accurate data for any location in Australia. Data shown here is from the 2024 calendar year. Production rankings will use 10 to 30-year normals to smooth out year-to-year variation.
This page ranks cities by average daily solar radiation (MJ/m2), which serves as a proxy for UV exposure. Higher solar radiation correlates with higher UV intensity. 'Peak month' is the calendar month with the highest solar radiation; 'Winter low' is the lowest monthly value.