‘This sun is not normal’: extreme ultraviolet radiation worries Bolivians

The city of La Paz, in the Bolivian highlands, was hit by an unusual heat wave, with levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation exacerbated by abnormally low levels of cloud cover that some experts have linked to climate change.

Ultraviolet radiation levels in recent weeks have reached 21 on a scale that normally only goes up to 20. According to the World Health Organization, an ultraviolet index of 11 is considered “extreme”, with people being warned to avoid the exposure to the sun.

“The sun is burning. This sun is not normal,” said Segundina Mamani, a resident of La Paz, as people in the city at 3,600 meters (11,800 feet) above sea level tried to cool off by eating shaved ice and keeping to the shadows.

The high-altitude Andean regions of South America could be hit by some of the most dangerous levels of ultraviolet radiation in the world, with numbers sometimes reaching record highs above 40 on the index. But a number between 11 and 17 is more typical.

“This is a problem that literally made La Paz cook,” said Juan Pablo Palma, a municipal government risk management official.

With world leaders gathering in Glasgow for the COP26 climate conference amid warnings that the weather light is flashing red, some Bolivian scientists say changing rainfall patterns are intensifying the effects of ultraviolet radiation by reducing rain cover. clouds.

“We confirm what many say: the rainy season can bring the same amount of rain, but it’s shorter,” said Luis Blacutt, a researcher at the atmospheric physics laboratory in La Paz, who has modeled climate change to study the trend.

While some rains have brought relief this week, the lab expects the high UV levels to last for at least another week.

“This means that cloud development is delayed, the influx of ultraviolet radiation is more noticeable now that there are no clouds,” said Blacutt. “We have an input of a large amount of ultraviolet radiation that reaches everyone.”