0Current UV
Low
Safe. Go out as normal; wear sunglasses on bright days.
- Today's peak
- 3.5 · Moderate
- Strongest sun
- 1:00 PM
- High UV or above
- None
Hourly UV index in Illinois
Maximum UV index, next 7 days
Today
Oct 29
4
Moderate
Tomorrow
Oct 30
4
Moderate
Sat
Oct 31
1
Low
Sun
Nov 1
0
Low
Mon
Nov 2
1
Low
Tue
Nov 3
1
Low
Wed
Nov 4
1
Low
UV index scale and how to protect yourself
- 0–2Low. Safe. Go out as normal; wear sunglasses on bright days.
- 3–5Moderate. Wear a hat and sunglasses, and use sunscreen if outdoors for long. Seek shade around midday.
- 6–7High. Limit sun exposure from 10 AM to 3 PM. Wear long sleeves, a wide-brimmed hat and SPF 30+ sunscreen.
- 8–10Very high. Avoid the sun from 10 AM to 3 PM. Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours and keep young children well covered.
- 11+Extreme. Stay indoors around midday. Unprotected skin can burn in just a few minutes.
The UV index measures the strength of ultraviolet radiation from the sun, which usually peaks between 10 AM and 3 PM. In the southern US, at high elevation and in summer, UV is often Very high to Extreme on sunny days, even when it is partly cloudy, and especially at the beach, on the water or on snow. Prolonged exposure to strong UV can cause sunburn, skin damage and eye injury.