The ozone hole is scary, and certainly anecdotally it feels like it severely affected UV levels, however apparently the science says the hole didn’t actually affect UV in NZ very much: “While the ozone hole does not directly affect ozone concentrations over New Zealand, when it breaks up in spring it can send ‘plumes’ of ozone-depleted air towards us. This briefly decreases column ozone levels by around 5 percent, about the same amount as normal daily variation (Ajtić et al, 2004).”[1]. I read that a 5% decrease in column ozone leads to a 2.5% increase in UV, which is not that significant.
Personally I believe the NZ sun is harsh, but looking at country measurements shows UV levels in NZ are not as bad as we might think.
That said, as a NZer, I am extremely pleased that everyone banned ozone depleting chemicals.
Personally I believe the NZ sun is harsh, but looking at country measurements shows UV levels in NZ are not as bad as we might think.
That said, as a NZer, I am extremely pleased that everyone banned ozone depleting chemicals.
[1] https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/ozone-hole/