There’s a new map which shows the sunniest walking routes in London
Pass me the Factor 50
As much as we all didn’t believe it, the heatwave came to London perfectly in time with the May bank holiday, leaving Londoners sprawled like scattered shrimps across every conceivable inch of green space, and every single corner store completely stripped of sun cream, disposable barbecues, and tinnies. In even more incredulous news, the gentle melting of Brits is set to continue as the sunny weather lives on.
Luckily, one engineer has created a new map which tracks the sunniest routes across London so you can keep the tan topped up as you stroll to your weekly shop. Or, you can *avoid* the sunshine by choosing the shadiest route, depending on your preference and burn-ability. Called Sun Paths, it's like the reversible top of cartography - it works both ways.
Cast your minds back to last summer and you may remember a map that shows you the pub gardens across the capital which were in the sunshine or shade in real time, keeping the post work plans solidly solar powered and help avoid the sudden panic of realising you definitely need a jumper now the sun has gone in, after not touching one in weeks. Well, the mastermind behind Sun Paths is Mo Dawod is the same sun obsessed saviour who created SunSeekr. Much like the modus operandi of the beer gardens map, the app tracks the sun in real time, making sure the information is accurate to the forecast for that day (minute), meaning you can avoid any nasty and chilly surprises whilst walking to work. Sun Paths is just the latest feature on Dawod’s game changing app, Sunseekr.
Whether you’re a stroller, a power walker, or just popping for a little mental health walk, you can now map out your journey on the app to find the sunniest, shadiest, and shortest routes to take. If you’re wondering how it *actually* works, the app uses shadow simulation, MapBox navigation software and OpenStreetMap data, the app does its extremely high tech thing to work out the position of the sun in real time. It then calculates the sunniest (and shadiest) ways to reach your destination. You can also alter the level of sunniness that you want to soak up, from light, to balanced, and sun-maxx for the Helios worshippers.
Speaking about the new feature on Insatgram, Dawod said: “8 months ago I started building something I wasn’t sure was possible. Every morning I’d walk along the river to work and somehow end up in the shade the whole way, while the opposite bank was glowing. It drove me mad. I wondered if I could fix it. Sun Paths is the answer. A walking route planner that finds the sunniest way to anywhere in London.”
From the whole of London, thank you sir. You can head to SunSeekr's website to find out more about both the maps.
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