The Summer Solstice and Your Skin: Why Late June Brings the Year's Highest UV
The longest day of the year is also the most intense — here's how the solstice translates to a concrete sun-protection takeaway.
In the Northern Hemisphere, UV peaks around the June solstice (about 21 June), when the midday sun reaches its highest angle and daylight is at its longest.
Environmental-health guidance notes that the sun's high angle at the solstice shortens the path UV takes through the atmosphere, so midday rays around late June are the strongest of the year and warrant extra shade and sunscreen.
Questions we get a lot
Is UV strongest at the summer solstice?
In the Northern Hemisphere, UV peaks around the June solstice, roughly 21 June, when the midday sun reaches its highest angle of the year. A higher sun angle means UV passes through less atmosphere, so midday rays around the solstice are among the most intense.
What time of day is UV highest around the solstice?
UV is highest in the middle of the day, generally late morning through early afternoon, when the sun is closest to overhead. Around the solstice this midday window is both more intense and longer, so seeking shade and applying sunscreen during those hours offers the most protection.
r/SkincareAddiction: 'Is the sun actually stronger around the summer solstice, or does it just feel that way because the days are long?'