I was wandering around the Elizabeth Quay precinct to check out what has changed since I lasted visited about a year ago and I saw a few new installations, including a brand new UV index meter!
The reason why the UV index meter is placed here is not completely clear but it could be for a number of different reasons:
1) There is not a lot of shade around if you are walking around Elizabeth Quay - no large well established trees, no long sections of undercover paths, etc.
2) The quay has facilities for recreational boating, which places people at risk of sun damage to their skin if sun safety precautions are not taken
3) There is a nearby "water park" area for young children and the meter serves as a reminder to parents about the dangers of the sun, as well as providing a learning opportunity for young people about how to be "sun smart"
4) It is newly developed public land and it is the perfect opportunity to communicate an important community service announcement on the risks of UV exposure.

In any case, I welcome this installation completely, purely to increase awareness on the intensity of UV light in this city.
Today I visited around lunchtime and the UV index was hovering between 1 and 2 during the 15 minutes I was there. There were clear skies, but given it is close to the Winter solstice, it is not surprising that the UV index was so low today. I am sure that in just a few months we will see some very extreme UV levels appearing on the meter here.

It appears that I may be FTF on this one too!

Thanks for the locationless cache, iluvtrekking

Rated: for Overall Experience.