SunSmart season has begun with the arrival of spring, and Highlands residents have been asked to think about UV exposure rather than heat when it came to slopping on sunscreen.

Cancer Council NSW’s community programs coordinator Sally Hudson said everyone in the Highlands needed to understand that UV – not heat, wind or sunlight – caused sunburn and was also the major cause of skin cancer.

“UV radiation is an invisible danger because it’s not like the sun’s warmth, which we feel, or the sun’s light, which we can see,” said Mrs Hudson.

“UV rays are high enough to damage our skin even on cooler days in spring. So, if we’re relying on temperature to work out whether we need to protect our skin or not, we’re making a big mistake.

“Remember, every time we overexpose our skin to UV rays, the damage adds up to increase our risk of skin cancer.”

Survey results found 35 per cent of adults did not realise UV radiation caused sunburn, with 21 per cent mistakenly claiming temperature was the best way to measure the risk of sunburn.

Mrs Hudson said spring was an “essentially important time” to be aware of UV exposure.

“It’s the first day of spring and UV levels increase rapidly to late December, when they can reach extreme levels, so it is important to check your local weather forecast or the SunSmart app for the times of the day when sun protection measures are recommended,” she said.

“Remember that UV levels are not connected with maximum temperatures.  At this time of year UV levels are already high enough to damage skin and it is very easy to get sunburnt by being caught unaware, especially if the day feels a bit cool.”

Most skin cancers are preventable and following the ‘slip, slop, slap, seek and slide’ philosophy is recommended.

For information on the maximum UV levels and sun protection times, visit the Bureau of Meteorology website at bom.gov.au/uv.

Live UV data is also available on the free SunSmart app for smartphones and tablets.