The Burning Question

13-Oct-2006

The Burning Question

MetService is predicting pleasant spring weather conditions, cooling breezes, and, as they do year after year, that Kiwis will burn in the sun this side of Christmas.

"We humans have no direct way of judging the intensity of Ultraviolet radiation until we burn," says MetService Weather ambassador Bob McDavitt. "We think that just because it doesn't feel hot, we are OK. But in fact, UV radiation levels in spring can easily damage the skin."

According to McDavitt, "slip, slop, slap and wrap starts at six on the UV Index Scale - slip on a shirt or into some shade, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat and wrap on sunglasses".

"The burning question involves both weather and sunlight. To help people plan their day, MetService includes a UV Index along with its website weather forecasts. People can also click on our link to the www.sunsmart. org.nz website to get UV behaviour recommendations that take into account their age and skin type."

UV levels in New Zealand are extreme during summer and result in an estimated 50,000 or more new cases of skin cancer and over 300 deaths each year.

ENDS

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