Costa Rica is known to have excellent weather conditions, but particularly during the months of March and April the temperatures tend to go up and the radiation is higher.

Experts from the National Meteorological Institute (IMN) warned that starting this week and through the second week of April Costa Rica will be exposed to dangerous levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation as the sun rays hit perpendicular to the ground in this region of the world.

It only takes 20 minutes of sun exposure for the skin to suffer damages and even burns. The clear skies during this time of the year and the decrease in the winds will also make for higher temperatures that could reach 38⁰C (100⁰F) in some parts of the country like Guanacaste.

As Holy week approaches and national and international tourists choose the beaches as a vacation destination it is important that outdoor activities and tanning be done with extreme caution, using sunblock with at least a 30 SPF (Sun protection factor) and avoiding overexposure to the sun rays. Sunblock should be reapplied every two hours or with more frequency in the event of the practice of water sports. Hydration is also important.

Experts measure the UV radiation in a range from 0-16, with 16 being the highest and most dangerous. In these days it is expected that Costa Rica has a levels of at least 15, which makes sunburns extremely dangerous.

Sunburns before the age of 18 elevate in a 30% the possibilities of developing skin cancer, a common condition in Costa Rica that corresponds to 23% of all cancer cases in the country. It is important that sunblock is applied at least 30 minutes prior to the exposure to the UV rays.