“Hottest part of the day is 12-3” except it isn’t is it?

[ShirleyPhallus]

This is always said as the hottest part of the day except it isn’t is it, it’s often much hotter from about 3-6 isn’t it?

Maybe the sun is stronger around midday but it’s not hotter then is it

I always thought it was that the UV levels are highest between 11 and 3. Not necessarily the same as being the hottest part of the day.

The sun is strongest and you have greater risk of burning around midday. But it can be cool at lunch time and baking at tea time.

I always feel that's a bit outdated, it definitely feels like the hottest point has shifted to later and if you look on the BBC hourly thing it often is around 4-6pm.

UV rays are strongest 11-3. Heat builds up and is usually hotter in the afternoon 2-5.

I agree that it's mixing up two different things - UV levels are highest around 11am-2pm (ish), but the temperature continues to increase, often with a peak around 5pm.

Agree - as a pp has stated I think it's becuse UV levels are highest between 11 and 3 but as everyone is confirming - temperature seems higher later than that. On the rare occasions I've been caught out with catching the sun it's always been after 4pm!!

No, the heat accumulates in the soil and concrete throughout the day so in the afternoon you get a double whammy of heat sources from above and below.

It's the UV rays where the sun is strongest at that time.

That's but necessarily the hottest part of the day too.

Midday in BST is 1pm, UV highest 11 to 3, but yes, the heat comes later. Less likely to burn at 5pm than 12pm even if it's hotter though.

The met office says the hottest part of the day is 11-3, but I think we’ve all just agreed that’s nonsense and is when the sun is strongest but not necessarily hottest

No, it's about 4-8pm where we are. If you live at the bottom of a steep-sided valley though that's probably right

The sun is strongest 12-3 but in built up areas in particular, the surroundings absorb heat over the day and then in the afternoon everything feels very hot. I'd say the hottest part of the day is from 3/4pm to around 7/ 8pm

The hottest part of the day standing in the middle of a field is 11-3.

But if you're in a built-up area the heat can continue to build for a bit longer as heat absorbed by buildings and surfaces radiates and convects to the air.

Yep, sun is at maximum elevation in the UK around 1300 BST…

It used to be taught that maximum heating happened after that.

FWIW whilst UV is very important from a sunburn POV, the heating is actually done by the radiation at Infra-Red end of the spectrum.

Normally I expect peak heat in the shade in my west-facing garden at about 5pm.

I agree, I think it's definitely hotter from 4ish-7ish.