UV index in Cali today
How strong is the sun in Cali today? The UV index below loads live every time you open the page: hour by hour, the hours you need protection, and how fast each skin type burns.
The sun right now
The UV index in Cali is 8.2 right now (Very high). Today it peaks at 8.6 (Very high) around 11:45. Sun protection needed (UV 3 or more) from 08:45 to 15:00.
As of 2026-10-16 15:58 UTC (NOAA GFS snapshot). Updating live…
UV index hour by hour, today and tomorrow
Today · Friday 16 October
Peak 8.6 (Very high) around 11:45.
- UV 3+: 08:45–15:00
- UV 6+: 10:00–13:45
- UV 8+: 11:00–12:45
Hour by hour as a table
| Hour | UV index | Clear sky | Band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | 0.0 | 0.0 | Low |
| 07:00 | 0.4 | 0.7 | Low |
| 08:00 | 1.8 | 2.8 | Low |
| 09:00 | 4.1 | 6.3 | Moderate |
| 10:00 | 6.5 | 10.0 | High |
| 11:00 | 8.2 | 12.7 | Very high |
| 12:00 | 8.6 | 13.6 | Very high |
| 13:00 | 7.6 | 12.3 | Very high |
| 14:00 | 5.4 | 9.1 | Moderate |
| 15:00 | 3.0 | 5.3 | Moderate |
| 16:00 | 1.1 | 2.1 | Low |
| 17:00 | 0.2 | 0.3 | Low |
| 18:00 | 0.0 | 0.0 | Low |
Tomorrow · Saturday 17 October
Peak 9.0 (Very high) around 11:30.
- UV 3+: 08:45–15:00
- UV 6+: 09:45–13:45
- UV 8+: 10:30–12:45
Hour by hour as a table
| Hour | UV index | Clear sky | Band |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | 0.0 | 0.0 | Low |
| 07:00 | 0.3 | 0.7 | Low |
| 08:00 | 1.6 | 2.9 | Low |
| 09:00 | 4.1 | 6.5 | Moderate |
| 10:00 | 7.2 | 10.3 | High |
| 11:00 | 8.7 | 13.1 | Very high |
| 12:00 | 8.8 | 13.9 | Very high |
| 13:00 | 7.5 | 12.5 | Very high |
| 14:00 | 5.0 | 9.3 | Moderate |
| 15:00 | 2.6 | 5.4 | Moderate |
| 16:00 | 0.9 | 2.2 | Low |
| 17:00 | 0.1 | 0.3 | Low |
| 18:00 | 0.0 | 0.0 | Low |
Times in local time (America/Bogota). Bars: UV index with cloud; the outline is what a clear sky would give.
Minutes to sunburn by skin type
Estimated minutes until unprotected skin starts to burn at today’s peak UV index of 8.6 (11:45).
| Skin type | Time to sunburn |
|---|---|
| Type I always burns, never tans | ≈ 15 min |
| Type II burns easily, tans a little | ≈ 19 min |
| Type III sometimes burns, tans slowly | ≈ 23 min |
| Type IV rarely burns, tans easily | ≈ 35 min |
| Type V very rarely burns, brown skin | ≈ 46 min |
| Type VI never burns, dark brown or black skin | ≈ 77 min |
An estimate for unprotected skin from the minimal erythemal dose of each type (200, 250, 300, 450, 600 and 1000 J/m²) and UV index 1 = 0.025 W/m² of erythemal sun: minutes = dose / (UV × 0.025 × 60). Snow, sand and water reflect extra UV; altitude adds about 10 % per 1000 m. Not medical advice.
What to do at each UV level (WHO)
| UV index | Sunscreen | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–2 Low | No sunscreen needed | safe to be outside; sunglasses on bright days |
| 3–5 Moderate | SPF 30 | shade around midday, shirt, sunscreen, hat |
| 6–7 High | SPF 30+ | protection needed: shade at midday, shirt, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses |
| 8–10 Very high | SPF 50+ | avoid the midday sun; shade, shirt, sunscreen and hat are a must |
| 11+ Extreme | SPF 50+ | stay out of the midday sun; full protection, unprotected skin burns in minutes |
Levels and advice from the World Health Organization’s Global Solar UV Index. Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours and after swimming.
UV map around Cali
The same NOAA GFS UV index on the map: green low, yellow moderate, orange high, red very high, violet extreme. Tap for the value and the clear-sky UV.
More for Cali
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Questions
- What is the UV index in Cali today?
- On 16 October 2026 the forecast peak in Cali was 8.6 (Very high). The box at the top of the page loads today’s and tomorrow’s UV index from the NOAA GFS forecast every time you open it.
- When is the sun strongest in Cali?
- Around local solar noon, when the sun is highest: the UV index is usually above half its peak for about two hours either side. The page shows the exact hours above 3, 6 and 8 for today and tomorrow.
- How long until I get sunburnt in Cali?
- It depends on the UV index and your skin: at UV 8 very fair skin (type I) starts to burn in about 17 minutes, type III in about 25, type V in about 50. The table on this page works it out for today’s peak.
- What SPF should I use?
- The WHO says protection starts at UV 3: SPF 30 at moderate levels, 30+ at high, 50+ at very high and extreme, with shade, a shirt, a hat and sunglasses. Clouds lower the UV less than they lower the heat, so a cool cloudy day can still burn.
UV index nearby
Bogotá · Medellín · Quito · Panama City · Guayaquil · Cartagena
How this page works
The UV index is the one the UV layer of the map paints: NOAA GFS forecast (public domain), with the clear-sky UV from the sun angle and the GFS ozone and the cloud’s cut of the sunlight, every 3 hours on a 2° grid; between the steps the sun angle at Cali is computed every 15 minutes. A city-scale model: it does not see altitude, snow or local haze. Read in your browser on every visit.