By 10 a.m., it was already 80 in Van Nuys, 88 in the Santa Clarita Valley and 95 in Lancaster. In general, today should see highs in the 70s at the beaches and into the 80s and 90s more inland, according to the National Weather Service. Some areas in the Valley could break triple digits. The rest of the week should be slightly less brutal, but only slightly. The ultraviolet index today is 11, which means at noon, when the sun's rays are at their strongest, a fair skinned person could get burned in about four minutes without protection. Any index number above 10, the highest number on the chart, is considered to be "a very high exposure level reading." 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 ›