UV Index Ireland
According to the WHO, the average daily ambient ultraviolet radiation in Ireland is 1,509 J/m² (joules per square metre).
UV radiation overview
Ireland stretches from roughly 51.5°N at Mizen Head to 55.4°N at Malin Head, placing the entire island in the cool-temperate mid-latitudes well north of continental Europe's sunbelt. Elevations are modest, with most of the country below 300 m and the highest peak, Carrauntoohil, reaching only 1,038 m, so altitude adds little to the UV signal. A maritime oceanic climate dominates: solar elevation peaks near 62° at midsummer in the south but stays below 35° from November through January, producing a strongly seasonal UV regime.
A distinctive feature of Ireland's UV climatology is the persistent Atlantic cloud cover that sweeps the western coast, which Met Éireann notes typically attenuates surface UV relative to drier European latitudes at similar sun angles. Valentia Observatory in County Kerry, operating since 1860, holds one of the longest continuous meteorological and UV-relevant records in Western Europe, complemented by EPA Ireland monitoring near Mace Head. Met Éireann's UV forecasts show summer UV index peaks typically reaching 6–7 (high) on clear June days, while midsummer day length stretches to about 17 hours in Donegal.
Ireland sits at #188 of 191 in the WHO's global ambient-UV ranking with about 1,509 J/m² of average daily UV, around the 2nd percentile worldwide.
UV Radiation in Ireland
This ranks 188 out of 191 countries measured worldwide — where 1 receives the most UV radiation.
Source: WHO Global Health Observatory (1997–2003)
