UV Index Townsville today
Measured 5:45 pm AEST on Tuesday 27 October · 5 minutes ago
No protection needed for most people.
UV is effectively zero at Townsville right now. Tomorrow is forecast to peak at 12.4 around 12:00 pm.
Sun protection times
Calculated from the clear-sky forecast, so it assumes no cloud. Cloud may reduce the UV level on the day, but it can clear at any time — treat these as the hours to be careful.
Today's forecast
Peak 12.1 at 12:00 pm, with cloud included.
Tomorrow
Forecast to peak at 12.4 Extreme around 12:00 pm.
This time of year
In October, Townsville's UV typically peaks around 11.4 Extreme.
Across 2016–2025, ARPANSA's measurements reached:
- 3 or more, when sun protection is needed, on every October day
- 8 or more, Very High or worse, on 99% of October days
- 11 or more, Extreme, on 81% of October days
Calculated by uvatlas from ARPANSA's historical UV measurements on data.gov.au, licensed CC BY 2.5 AU. Each day's peak is its highest five-minute average; 310 October days.
What to do tomorrow
Tomorrow is forecast to reach 12.4 Extreme.
- Slip on clothing that covers your shoulders and back.
- Slop on SPF 50+ sunscreen 20 minutes before going out, and reapply every two hours.
- Slap on a broad-brimmed hat, and wrap on sunglasses.
- Avoid being outside between mid-morning and mid-afternoon if at all possible.
- Unprotected skin can burn in minutes at this level.
- Water, sand and concrete reflect UV and increase your exposure.
What the UV index numbers mean
Nearby
UV observations courtesy of ARPANSA.
© Commonwealth of Australia as represented by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA). ARPANSA disclaimer.
Forecast contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information 2026. Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use of this information.