Vdara, one of the newest hotels on the Las Vegas megastrip of dreams, has an unusual, um, amenity... a "death ray!" The curved design of the MGM Mirage-owned hotel appears to be focusing a severe amount of sunlight at the pool area with strong rays causing serious burns and melting plastic cups and wrappers. more ›

It reached 99 degrees in downtown Los Angeles, Long Beach and Woodland Hills this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Going further than that, Fullerton and Palm Springs each broke into triple digits. For the most part, valleys, inland and even some beachside areas remained in the low to high 90s. Today's ultraviolet index level is 10, which means "a fair skinned person could suffer a sunburn in about four minutes if not protected," the Service warns. Stay cool and use that sunscreen! more ›

Today and tomorrow's ultraviolet index level in Los Angeles is 7, which means a person could be sunburned in 7-8 minutes of exposure to the sun. Everyday, the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center releases the next day's UV levels and as we approach summer, these numbers have been climbing out of the low and moderate levels towards the high. "There are two prices to pay for overexposure to UV radiation: a severe sun burn following an intense short term overexposure, and the more serious skin cancers developing after long term overexposure," the Service explains. "Melanoma, the more deadly of the two types of skin cancer occurs when the patient has been subjected to several intense short term overexposures." If UV levels reach 10 or beyond, it could take four minutes to develop a sunburn. more ›