Heat summary - Chapter 13: solar radiation and public health
This page summarises Chapter 13 of the Health Effects of Climate Change (HECC) report with a focus on the impact of heat on solar radiation and public health. This is part of the science and stats section for the hazard: heat.
Applies to England
CCHS navigation menu:
CCHS homepage
Topic: climate-related hazards
Hazard: all climate-related hazards, heat
Part of: heat summary - full HECC report
Key resources for HECC Chapter 13:
- Heat summary - Chapter 13: solar radiation and public health
- Chapter 13 full report (pdf)
Heat summary of Chapter 13
Too much exposure to the ultraviolet radiation in sunlight causes sunburn, skin ageing and increases the risk of certain cancers.
Ultraviolet radiation exposure is impacted by ozone concentration, cloud cover and air pollution, all of which are impacted by climate change.
Sunlight exposure is highly dependent on people’s lifestyle, behaviour and age. Nationally, there has been a trend of sunburn injuries increasing in the last 10 years. Therefore, improving public awareness of the risks and benefits of sun exposure is very important.
In 2020, too much exposure to ultraviolet radiation caused around 1.2 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancers and 325,000 malignant melanomas worldwide. Malignant melanoma is the 5th most common cancer in the UK and incidence rates have increased by 32% in the last decade.
The global solar UV index is reported on a scale of 1 (low) to 11 (extreme). The higher the index rating is, the greater the potential for skin and eye damage, and the less time is required to cause damage.
High UV levels are not directly associated with hot weather. In Spring, the risk of overexposure may be greater than the risk during summer, because the UV level is often higher than perceived based on temperature. Additionally, if hot spring temperatures occur outside the heatwave alerting period, people are not necessarily aware that high temperatures may pose a risk. This may mean that sun protection messaging occurs too late in the year.
In the UK, public information is generally biased towards sun protection, but improving public awareness of solar radiation is also important.