Does the heat really feel hotter in Tasmania than it does on the mainland?

By Carla Howarth, Tuesday January 15, 2019 - 15:00 EDT



Tasmania has cleaner air and less pollutants than other parts of the country. - ABC licensed



If you've been to Tasmania, you might have heard locals remark that the sun's rays feel hotter on the island state than they do in other parts of Australia.







It's not unusual to hear the complaint that 25 degrees Celsius feels different in Tassie than it would on the mainland.



It's also common to hear that the stifling heat has to do with Tasmania's position near a hole in the ozone layer.



The ABC spoke to the Bureau of Meteorology's (BOM) Luke Johnston about whether that is true, and why Tasmania's heat has a "different story" to the rest of the country.



Is there a hole in the ozone layer over Tasmania?



No. And it doesn't really impact on how hot we feel.



According to the BOM website, the hole in the ozone layer "has only ever been observed to be well south of the Australian mainland and Tasmania".



"In fact, in springtime, when the hole is in existence, ozone levels over southern Australian cities are at their highest," the BOM says.







"There's not huge correlation between ultra violet (UV) radiation and surface temperature," Mr Johnston said.



"So there being a hole in the ozone layer or a weaker part of ozone layer closer to Tasmania than Brisbane, for example, would not really affect what the temperature feels like."



But, UV levels are different in Tasmania, and the state reaches "extreme" conditions on most summer days.



Cancer Council Tasmania CEO Penny Egan said many people â€” especially tourists â€” did not realise how harsh the sun could be in Tasmania.



"People think that because you're in Tasmania, where we happen to be at the bottom of our big country and closest to Antarctica, that we don't have to worry as much about the heat and the sun," she said.



"In fact, that's a bit of a myth.



"We have particularly high UV here in Tasmania and it's very important that people understand the impact that can have on your skin."



Ms Egan said Tasmania had the fourth highest rate of skin cancer in the country.



"Queensland is the first, which we probably would understand," she said.



"New South Wales, Western Australia and ourselves are all nearly on par with each otherâ€” so we're rated fourth but we're a very close second.



"South Australia is much lower than us, so is the ACT and the Northern Territory, would you believe."



Why is the sun so harsh in Tassie?



What does make a difference to what you feel, according to Mr Johnston, is the quality of Tasmania's air, which means the sun's rays don't have to compete with pollutants.







"If you look at various air quality sites around Australia, you'll find that Tasmania has usually got pretty clean air â€” thanks to a lot of air coming from down south from the Southern Ocean, which is generally a lot clearer and cleaner," he said.



"We also have less pollutants and less dust."



In fact, Cape Grim in Tasmania's north-west has some of the , unaffected by regional pollution sources such as nearby cities or industry.



Is it all a matter of perception?



So why does heat in Tasmania feel different than it might in, say, Queensland?



It might all come down to what you expect when you come to Tasmania.



Earlier this month, . The heat record for the state is 42.2C, recorded in Scamander on the east coast in January 2009.



Hobart's top temperature is 41.8C, recorded in 2014, but overall, temperatures over 30C are rare.



Mr Johnston said the heat could be a shock to the system for some people living in Australia's southernmost state.



"Then you've got to factor in that we're not used to temperatures like this," he said.



"So when things like this happen it's quite extreme for a lot of people."





- ABC



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