Study of erythemal, UV (A + B) and global solar radiation in Valencia (Spain)

Although ultraviolet B radiation (UVB), the solar radiation band between 280 and 315 nm, is only a small fraction of the extraterrestrial solar radiation, it accounts for 80% of the harmful effects of exposure to the sun. In this work values of erythemal solar irradiance (UVER) measured in Valencia on a horizontal plane in the period between June 2003 and June 2005 are analysed and compared with measures of UV (A + B) and global irradiances on a horizontal plane. UV erythemal (UVER) irradiance has been measured using a YES‐UVB‐1 broadband radiometer; UV (A + B) irradiance has been measured using a TUVR Eppley radiometer with spectral response between 290 and 385 nm and global irradiance on a horizontal plane has been measured with a Kipp and Zonen model CM‐6 broadband radiometer. A study of a statistically representative index of UVER irradiance has been made by comparing with the results corresponding to UV (A + B) irradiance and those of global irradiance on a horizontal plane. A fit has been performed using all the irradiance values to estimate the UVER and UV (A + B) components as functions of the other ranges. We have calculated for each month the irradiation acumulated during an average day, for the UVER, UV (A + B) and global, the highest values was 4.1, 791 and 25 146 kJ/m 2 respectively. Copyright © 2007 Royal Meteorological Society