The UV index today is 9, of "very high". I can tell that this is accurate, because I could feel the back of my head start to cook while I was sitting outside at lunch, in the shade of a large pine tree. When you're tanning/sunburning in the shade, you know it's nasty.
I continue to be of two minds about the current heat wave; 28 degrees in the middle of May is, to put it mildly, unseasonably warm. While I suspect that within two weeks, we will have a dose of uncommonly cold weather again, I worry about the temperature swinging to warm when we're in full-on summer. 40 C is not a temperature I would like to experience. On the other hand, winter held on this year long enough that even I was happy to see it go. It's nice to finally have sunlight, and to be able to sit outside again. I'm finally enjoying our balcony.