ERYTHEMAL AND CARCINOGENIC ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION AT THREE NEW ZEALAND CITIES

A network of solar carcinogenic/erythemal ultraviolet radiation monitors has been established by the Department of Health — National Radiation Laboratory and the DSIR at a number of centres of population in New Zealand. Daily totals of this biologically harmful, ultraviolet radiation for 1989 and 1990 are reported from the Wellington and Christchurch radiometers and for 1990 from the Auckland radiometer. The effects of time of year, latitude and cloud cover are apparent in the data and are discussed. However, the monitoring programme has not been running sufficiently long to discern any long-term changes in levels of solar ultraviolet radiation which would result from changes in the stratospheric ozone layer.