As someone who lives in the UK, it’s true to say I don’t often have to worry that much about sunburn, at least when I’m not on holiday.
However, heatwaves do occur — the UK is currently melting thanks to 100+℉ temperatures, and as a keen runner I spend a lot of time outdoors all year round, so I do keep an eye out for risky conditions.
Recently I came across the free ConnectIQ SunAlert app, which gives very precise advice about your risk of sunburn at any time, based on the current UV index, the activity you have planned and the strength of sunscreen you’re using.
I downloaded it to my Garmin Forerunner 970 to use during the UK heatwave, and the SunAlert app is available on almost all of the best Garmin watches.
Helpful advice based on conditions and your skin type
The app is naturally only to be used for advice — it’s not definitive guidance and doesn't claim to be — but it does give a set amount of time you can spend in the sun before you risk burning.
This advice is based on the UV index, as reported by the weather forecast on your Garmin watch, as well as the skin type you have set in the SunAlert app, which is based on the six Fitzpatrick skin types.
The app shows how long it will take before you burn, along with an estimate of how long it will take before you start tanning, for those in the sun for that purpose.
If you’re outside for a certain activity, like swimming or snow sports, you can set this in the app, along with the SPF of your sunscreen from 15-100, and this will then adjust the estimated time to burn.
Once you’ve got everything set up, you can start your session in the sun and then get notified when you’ve hit the predicted time that you will start burning.
The app also logs how much vitamin D it thinks you have taken in while outside and gives a target to work towards each day, which will be a useful tool for the long UK winter.
Sunburn comes on faster than you think
Perhaps the most useful aspect of the app for me has been that it shows how little time you actually need to spend in the sun to risk burning, especially if you have a fairer skin type like mine.
If I’m only going out for a 45-minute run and it’s late morning, I’ll usually not bother with sunscreen, but the app shows that even with a moderate UV index of 5, I’d risk sunburn during that run if I was exposed the whole time.
Once the UV index gets into the high or very high range, even half an hour outdoors is risky without sunscreen, so the app has pushed me to be more diligent in applying it before all my runs.
I find it just helps to have the numbers so plainly laid out, even if they are estimates, and you can set the Sun Alert app up as a widget on your watch to get info on the risk of sunburn quickly.
It’s a completely free app and works with most Garmin watches — there are a couple of new models it’s not on yet, like the Garmin Forerunner 170 — so it’s definitely one I think is worth adding even just to survive the current UK heatwave, or to use all the time if you live in sunnier climates.
