UV Index Algeria
According to the WHO, the average daily ambient ultraviolet radiation in Algeria is 3,253 J/m² (joules per square metre).
UV radiation overview
Algeria is Africa's largest country by area, stretching roughly from about 19°N near Tamanrasset and the Hoggar massif in the deep south to about 37°N along the Mediterranean coast near Algiers and Annaba. The Sahara Desert covers close to 80% of the national territory, while the Tell Atlas and Saharan Atlas ranges separate the narrow fertile coastal strip from the vast arid interior. This enormous latitudinal and altitudinal span produces sharply different solar and UV regimes between the temperate north and the hyper-arid south.
The central Algerian Sahara experiences some of the lowest cloud cover and clearest skies on Earth, combined with a near-overhead sun for much of the year, giving exceptional surface UV doses across regions such as Tamanrasset, In Salah and Adrar. Altitude amplifies this further on the volcanic Hoggar Plateau, where Mount Tahat rises to 2,908 m and thinner atmosphere increases UV irradiance by several percent per kilometre. By contrast, the Mediterranean coast has a milder UV regime, moderated by sea breezes, higher humidity and more frequent winter cloud cover.
Algeria sits at #131 of 191 in the WHO's global ambient-UV ranking with about 3,253 J/m² of average daily UV, around the 32nd percentile worldwide.
UV Radiation in Algeria
This ranks 131 out of 191 countries measured worldwide — where 1 receives the most UV radiation.
Source: WHO Global Health Observatory (1997–2003)
