While it may not be summer yet, experts are urging Kiwis to get out the sunblock and wide-brimmed hats, as the sun comes out this long weekend.
MetService meteorologist Angus Hines told AM the entire country can expect nice weather on Saturday and Sunday, with some cities reaching as high as 25 degrees - but with the warm weather comes dangerously high UV levels.
NIWA said ultraviolet (UV) radiation levels are averaging higher than in 2021.
UV radiation is produced by the sun and too much exposure can damage people's health by causing sunburn, premature aging, and increasing the risk of skin cancer.
UV Index levels are predicted to reach between 6 and 7 in the south, 7 to 8 in central parts, and between 8 and 9 in the north over the Labour weekend.
The higher the UV index, the faster you burn, with a UV index level of 3 or more enough to cause skin.
NIWA said it has already reached UV level 8 in New Zealand this week. For comparison a UV level that high is rare in the UK even during the height of summer.
According to NIWA, peak clear sky UV index levels between noon and 1pm in Leigh, north of Auckland, have been 5 percent more on average and up to 10 percent higher over the last month compared with the same period last year.
NIWA meteorologist Dr Richard Turner said the country's elevated clear sky UV level is likely due to a slight depletion of the ozone layer over the past few months.
"Our atmosphere shields us from a lot of the sun's radiation because of the thin ozone layer in our stratosphere, which absorbs most of the UV. However, values taken at our atmospheric research station in Lauder show that ozone levels are at or near the lower end of what we'd expect at this time of the year," Dr Turner said.
Cancer Society NZ national adviser Hazel Potterton said this is of particular concern in New Zealand due to our ozone already being some of the thinnest in the world.
"New Zealand often ranks highest in the world for skin cancer rates. Even on cloudy days, you can burn within minutes, and people are often caught out at this time of year," Potterton said.
"The good news is, you can help protect yourself by being SunSmart and remembering to slip, slop, slap, and wrap.
"This means slipping on clothes to cover as much skin as possible; slipping into shade, especially during the middle of the day; slopping on sunscreen of at least SPF 30 every two hours; slapping on a wide-brimmed hat; and wrapping on close-fitting, sun-protective sunglasses."
