# Column reference · SunScope
Every column in the SunScope forecast table explained in plain language — from Air and Shade Air through wind, UV, rain probability, lightning potential, air quality, pollen, and SunSoak.

# Column reference

Every column in the forecast table, in plain language.

Depending on the profile you choose, SunScope surfaces a different set of columns — but they all draw on the same per-hour weather data. You can also hover or tap any column header in the app for the same description. Every column is listed below.

Column | What it shows
--- | ---
Air °C | Standard air temperature at 2 m above ground — the thermometer reading. Does not account for sun, wind, or humidity.
Shade Air °C | Estimated air temperature sitting in the typical shade of the selected Solar Model — building shadow, beach umbrella, tree canopy, boat panels, and so on. Sheltered, sun-warmed surroundings push it above the official open-ground Air figure on calm sunny hours; wind and cloud pull it back toward it. An estimate, not a measurement, and different from the standardised 2 m Air reading.
RH % | Relative humidity: how much moisture the air holds as a percentage of its maximum capacity at that temperature. High RH makes warm days feel stickier and cold days feel rawer.
Dew Point | The temperature at which air becomes saturated and moisture begins to condense. Above 16 °C it starts to feel muggy; above 21 °C it feels oppressive. A better measure of absolute humidity than RH.
Wind | Mean wind speed at 10 m in mph, with peak gust in brackets where significantly higher. Gust colour follows the Beaufort scale: amber = Near Gale (32+ mph), orange = Gale (39+ mph), red = Severe Gale or above (55+ mph). Banners above the table classify conditions from Strong Breeze through to Violent Storm. Wind is the primary driver of wind chill.
Dir | The compass direction the wind is blowing from, shown as an arrow and abbreviated label. Useful for route planning and spray timing.
Cloud | Total cloud cover as a percentage of sky. High cloud blocks solar radiation, reducing daytime heating and overnight cooling.
Sun ° | The angle of the sun above the horizon in degrees. Below 0° the sun has set. The higher the elevation, the more intense the radiation reaching the ground.
Direct W/m² | Shortwave solar radiation arriving as a direct beam from the sun. The primary driver of skin heating on sunny days.
Diffuse W/m² | Solar radiation scattered from all directions across the sky. Present even under cloud cover; contributes to the overall solar heat load.
Tmrt °C | Mean Radiant Temperature — the combined heat from direct sun, scattered sky light, and ground reflection expressed as a temperature. Can exceed air temperature by 20–30 °C on a sunny day; this is why shade feels so much cooler, and it is one of the inputs to UTCI.
UTCI−Air Δ | The gap between the UTCI felt temperature and the plain air temperature. A large positive value means solar radiation is adding significant heat stress beyond what the thermometer shows.
UTCI °C | Universal Thermal Climate Index — the raw felt temperature combining air temp, humidity, wind, and solar radiation. Does not include precipitation effects.
UV-A | Estimated UV-A radiation index. UV-A penetrates deeper into the skin and contributes to long-term ageing and some skin cancers, even through glass. Present throughout daylight hours.
UV-B | Estimated UV-B radiation index. Causes sunburn and drives vitamin D production. Intensity depends strongly on solar elevation and cloud cover, falling sharply at low sun angles.
Burn time | Estimated time to reach one Minimal Erythemal Dose (MED) — the threshold for sunburn — based on the UV index and your selected Fitzpatrick skin type (chosen from a dropdown in the column bar). A guide, not a medical measurement.

SunSoak °C

SunScope's signature felt-temperature index. Starts from UTCI then adds three layers: a rain and snow penalty (wet clothing can drop felt temperature by up to 8 °C), a Solar Model for where you actually are (forest, alpine, beach, river, open water, desert), and full mean radiant temperature from surrounding surfaces. The most honest single answer to: what will it actually feel like out there?

Precip mm | Expected rainfall in mm per hour; snowfall is shown in cm. Even light drizzle meaningfully reduces felt temperature when combined with wind.
Rain % | Probability of precipitation for this hour (0–100%), derived from Open-Meteo ensemble model runs. A high value means rain is likely even if the expected rate is low — useful for spotting showers the deterministic forecast may miss.
Lightning | Lightning Potential Index (LPI) from Open-Meteo in J/kg — a convective energy index. Values above 5 suggest moderate lightning risk, above 25 suggest high risk.
Soil °C surface | Temperature of the soil at the surface (0 cm depth). Most seeds germinate above 7–10 °C. Useful for sowing decisions and frost assessment.
Soil °C 6 cm | Soil temperature at 6 cm depth — the root zone for many crops and seedlings. Lags behind the surface by several hours.
Soil moisture | Water saturation of the top 1 cm of soil as a percentage. Above 40% indicates saturated ground; below 20% is dry. Useful for assessing whether ground is workable, and for motorhome or caravan pitch suitability.
Concrete °C | Estimated temperature of sun-exposed urban paving. Concrete absorbs more solar energy than grass and cannot cool itself through evaporation — surface temps can run 15–25 °C above air temperature on sunny days. See derived temperatures.
Vehicle °C | Estimated ambient cabin temperature inside a sealed, parked vehicle — adjusted for your chosen vehicle type. Values above 35 °C are dangerous for children and pets; above 45 °C potentially fatal within minutes. See derived temperatures.
Indoors °C | Estimated temperature inside a building with windows closed and no active cooling. Select your building type from the dropdown — brick, modern insulated, Victorian terrace, stone cottage, timber frame, top-floor flat, conservatory, or office block. Indoor peak typically lags the outdoor peak by 2–4 hours due to thermal mass.
Managed °C | The same building model with two interventions: curtains closed by day to block solar gain, and windows opened whenever outdoor air is cooler than inside — the standard UK heatwave advice. Toggle with the Managed tick next to the building dropdown.
Fur Temp °C | Estimated fur surface temperature a cat or small dog experiences in direct sun, calibrated for a thin/short coat. Choose your pet's fur colour — Black/Dark, Brown/Tabby, Golden/Tan, or White/Pale — from the dropdown; darker coats absorb more solar heat and run hotter.
Paw Temp °C | Estimated ground/pavement surface temperature for paw contact, colour-coded by burn risk: green below 40 °C (safe), amber 40–52 °C (discomfort or possible burn on prolonged contact), red above 52 °C (can burn within 60 seconds). If you can't hold the back of your hand on the surface for 7 seconds, it's too hot to walk your pet.
Pet Shade °C | Shaded air temperature for a resting pet, using the same shade estimate as Shade Air but with a lower, pet-specific alert threshold — small pets have far less capacity to dump heat than humans.
Pet Home °C | Indoor temperature estimate for a pet left home alone, using the same model as the Indoors column but with a lower, pet-specific alert threshold (26 °C) rather than the human heatwave guidance threshold.
Visibility km | Horizontal visibility in kilometres, sourced from the Copernicus CAMS air quality model. Below 1 km indicates fog or very thick haze; below 10 km suggests mist, smoke, or significant pollution. Relevant for driving, flying, cycling, and photography.
AQI | European Air Quality Index (0–100+), combining PM2.5, PM10, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulphur dioxide. 0–20 = Good; 20–40 = Fair; 40–60 = Moderate; 60–80 = Poor; 80–100 = Very Poor; 100+ = Extremely Poor. Sourced from Copernicus CAMS.
Pollen | Pollen concentration in grains per cubic metre for the selected pollen type — choose from total, grass, birch, alder, mugwort, olive, or ragweed via the dropdown. Sourced from the Copernicus CAMS pollen forecast. Low = <10; Moderate = 10–50; High = 50–200; Very High = 200+.

Several columns build on the SunSoak model or a physics estimate — see SunSoak & the science for the felt-temperature calculation and derived temperatures for the vehicle, indoor, and concrete models.