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Fury as Britain's oldest cathedral to turn iconic landmark into an AIRBNB with locals slamming ‘outrageous' plans
Fury as Britain's oldest cathedral to turn iconic landmark into an AIRBNB with locals slamming ‘outrageous' plans

Scottish Sun

time20 hours ago

  • Business
  • Scottish Sun

Fury as Britain's oldest cathedral to turn iconic landmark into an AIRBNB with locals slamming ‘outrageous' plans

It has been branded as a commercialisation move HOLY MOLY Fury as Britain's oldest cathedral to turn iconic landmark into an AIRBNB with locals slamming 'outrageous' plans Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PLANS to turn the entrance to Britain's oldest cathedral into an Airbnb have been branded as "outrageous". The entrance gateway to Canterbury Cathedral, one of the most photographed Christian landmarks of the country, could be converted into accommodation. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Canterbury Cathedral, located in Kent, may have its entrance transformed Credit: Alamy 3 The landmark dates back to the early 16th century Credit: Alamy Christ Church Gate, which serves as the main entrance to the cathedral, was built in 1520. What the plans for the Airbnb involve Church authorities have proposed to transform its historic tower into an Airbnb, as an apartment with one bedroom, an open-plan kitchen and living room. Other features in the plans include a biofuel fire, breakfast bar, and two toilets. A Canterbury Cathedral spokesperson said: 'The best long-term way to care for our historic buildings, and ensure that they are maintained for future generations, is for them to be used and loved by residents and visitors. 'The rooms in the Gate remain unrefurbished and, in their current condition, are of limited use. 'As we consider how these rooms could be used, the Cathedral is working closely with historic building specialists, conservation architects and planners to bring them into use. 'This will help us continue our centuries-old practice of hospitality and welcome as we seek to serve the wider community, both here in Canterbury, and across the world. We are looking to share more information as plans unfold.' Purcell Architects is the company set to be involved in the transformation of the Cathedral, and submitted documents to the council. They said: 'It is clear from the layout and fixtures, including the large fireplaces and windows originally with shutters, that they were designed for domestic use." Move branded 'outrageous' This, however, has sparked controversy among the local community and Christians and seen as "the continued commercialisation of the Church". Chair of the Canterbury Society, Hilary Brian, said it was an "outrageous" idea and told KentOnline: 'The gate is such an important piece of Canterbury's history, and it should be preserved. 'It seems such a shame to see one of the city's biggest landmarks disregarded in this way.' Historic UK city undergoing huge multi-million revamp Dr Gavin Ashenden, who was the former chaplain to late Queen Elizabeth II, and has since converted to Catholicism, thinks the conversion plans come at no surprise. He pointed out: 'As The Church of have to go to ever increasing links to raise money. Ashenden was also a choral scholar at King's Canterbury, and added: 'To give credit where it is due, at least turning this famous cathedral gateway into an Airbnb doesn't involve the degree of blasphemy and irresponsibility that some of the other money making ventures like turning the cathedral into a nightclub involved. "Perhaps local residents should be grateful. "It's just Airbnb rather than a casino.' Other church transformations It is not the first time an historic cathedral has been "commercialised". In 2019, Southwark Cathedral had its nave used as a catwalk and to sell clothes by fashion designer Julien MacDonald. It was subsequently accused of promoting the "antithesis of the Christian Gospel". Norwich Cathedral was also criticised for "treating God like a tourist attraction" when it installed a 55-ft helter skelter in its nave. Airbnb and Canterbury Council have been contacted for comment.

Burial of former Zambian president Lungu in limbo as court halts SA funeral proceedings
Burial of former Zambian president Lungu in limbo as court halts SA funeral proceedings

Eyewitness News

timea day ago

  • Politics
  • Eyewitness News

Burial of former Zambian president Lungu in limbo as court halts SA funeral proceedings

JOHANNESBURG - An extraordinary feud between the Zambian government and former President Edgar Lungu has again left a bitter taste for the late stateman's family, after the Pretoria High Court put the brakes on his funeral on Wednesday. Lungu died three weeks ago while receiving treatment at a South African health facility. Plans to repatriate his body back to his home country triggered a running battle between his family and the current Zambian administration over burial rights. Mourners were left waiting at the Cathedral of Christ the King in downtown Johannesburg while some of his family sat through the court proceedings that played out in Pretoria, leaving Lungu's remains in limbo for several hours. Lungu's family had previously announced it would independently repatriate the former head of state, despite an earlier decision by the Zambian government that it would spearhead the process and lead plans for a state funeral in the country. The 68-year-old's political party, the Patriotic Front, backed his family, adding that the political rivalry between Lungu and his successor, President Hakainde Hichilema, had muddied the waters. Lungu family lawyer, Neo Mashele, said: "We mean that the applicant, which is the Zambian government, intends to repatriate the late president's body to Zambia. The Lungu family is opposed to that. So what happened this morning is that the acting judge, President Ledwaba, said to us that the matter must be ventilated before a full court, which will comprise of three judges, by way of a special motion." The court ruled that his family would be allowed at the mortuary until the matter was heard in August. Other former Zambian presidents, including the country's first independent president, Kenneth Kaunda, and his successor, Frederick Chiluba, are buried at the Embassy Park Presidential Burial Site in Lusaka.

IHSAA softball's first-year standouts: These Central Indiana freshmen debuted with a bang
IHSAA softball's first-year standouts: These Central Indiana freshmen debuted with a bang

Indianapolis Star

time3 days ago

  • Sport
  • Indianapolis Star

IHSAA softball's first-year standouts: These Central Indiana freshmen debuted with a bang

From key contributors amidst deep postseason runs to rising stars who've already begun establishing themselves among the state's best softball players, these were some of Central Indiana's top-performing freshmen. The first-year hurler went 7-4 in her first season, posting a 3.42 ERA and totaling 144 strikeouts over 88 innings. She held opposing batters to a .244 average and posted a pair of five-inning shutouts. Braun also went the distance in a 12-inning win over Bishop Chatard, allowing just one earned run on three hits with 19 strikeouts. She also hit .383 with 23 hits, 19 runs, 13 RBIs, two homers and nine steals. Corn smashed seven home runs to tie the school's single-season record (fun fact: her first career homer was a grand slam). She finished the season batting .471 with 40 hits, 11 doubles and three triples, plus 34 RBIs, 39 runs and a .520 OBP. Corn played multiple positions in the field, but was primarily at second and third (.915 fielding percentage on 71 chances). State finalists and record-setters: These are Indy-area softball's top sophomores Farr batted .330 in her debut with 30 hits (11 doubles), 18 RBIs and 15 runs scored. She stole a base and converted all 27 chances in the field (25 putouts, two assists). Hazelwood made an immediate splash with the 3A state champion Irish, posting a .404 average with 40 hits, 36 runs and 18 RBIs. She logged six doubles and two triples (one of which lifted Cathedral to a semistate semifinal win over New Palestine), and posted a .482 OBP. Hazelwood went 16-for-17 on steal attempts and registered 35 assists and five double plays in the field. 'She's the real deal' Cathedral freshman has 'mentality of upperclassman' and skills to match. Hittle batted a team-best .544 with 37 hits, 33 runs and 32 RBIs. Her collection of hits included 10 homers, two triples and three doubles, she was perfect on 55 chances in the field and stole seven bases. The state semifinalist Saints' lead-off hitter, Langston posted a .460 OBP and .369 average with 31 hits, 11 RBIs, 35 runs, three doubles and a triple. She stole 30 bases — a school record for a freshman — and struck out just 14 times. Langston finished the season with a .905 fielding percentage. An all-conference honoree, Lutz batted .424 with 36 hits (11 doubles, four triples, seven homers), 41 runs and 32 RBIs. She stole 11 bases and was lights out in her 10.2 innings pitched, going 2-0 with a 0.66 ERA (one earned run allowed, four total) and 13 strikeouts (40 batters faced). Polston collected four wins and struck out 15 hitters over 30.2 innings pitched. She was among the Hawks' top hitters, batting .395 with 32 hits, 22 runs and 33 RBIs (second-most on the team). Her collection of hits included four doubles, three triples and seven home runs, and she also stole five bases. Riley was sidelined due to injury late in the season. She pitched 47 innings across 11 appearances in the circle, going 6-2 with a save and a 2.68 ERA. She struck out 66 batters and issued just 11 walks with a .201 batting average against. Schroering shined as the Bulldogs' ace, going 11-2 with a 2.70 ERA and 52 strikeouts over 91.2 innings pitched. She held opposing hitters to a .214 batting average and led Brownsburg to a sectional runner-up finish. Whiston batted .388, tallying 31 hits (six doubles, one triple), 16 runs and 14 RBIs in 26 games. She pitched 12 innings, compiling a 2.33 ERA, striking out 12 and limiting opposing hitters to a .196 batting average. A .380 hitter, Wilkerson tallied 27 hits, 24 runs and 15 RBIs over 71 at-bats. She swiped six bases and was very dependable in the field, converting 46 putouts and an assist on 50 chances (.940). The Golden Eagles' only pitcher, Augustinovicz logged 99.2 innings in her debut season, striking out 88 batters with a .292 batting average against and 4.92 ERA. At the plate, she batted .370 with 12 runs and four RBIs. Cope anchored the CC outfield, registering putouts on 29 of 30 chances with a double play and only one error. She was a key presence at the plate, as well, notching 32 hits (.386 average), 22 runs and 20 RBIs. She stole six bases. A multi-sport standout, Dittemore was among the Eels' top hitters, logging a .585 average that included 31 hits, 18 runs and 13 RBIs. She struck out just six times in 58 plate appearances and tallied six doubles and four triples. She rounded out her notable stats with five steals and a .909 fielding percentage. Engleking batted .391, collecting 27 hits, 23 RBIs and 14 runs. She drew seven walks, stole five bases and struck out 59 batters in 52.1 innings in the circle. Vaeth batted .419 with 26 hits, 18 runs and 19 RBIs. Her collection of hits included four doubles and a triple. She also held a fielding percentage of .975 with only three errors on 118 chances. Capable of playing multiple positions, Hilliard batted .364 through the first 21 games of her career, collecting 20 hits, 16 RBIs and 17 runs. She doubled five times, drew nine walks and stole 12 bases. Holt collected 26 hits (.347) with six doubles, a triple and two homers. She drove in 13 runs and scored twice herself, and was among the team's most dependable fielders, committing just two errors on 164 chances with 14 assists and a double play. Hughes had not played shortstop consistently before starting at the position every game this season for the regional champs. She recorded 30 putouts and 42 assists on 74 chances with two double plays. She settled in as the team's No. 9 hitter, batting .333 with 12 RBIs, a double, a triple and 27 runs scored. Maynard batted .304 in her debut, picking up 28 hits with six doubles, two triples and three homers. Her efforts at the plate resulted in 23 runs scored and 27 RBIs. She also swiped eight bases and was nearly flawless in the field with a .990 fielding percentage (two errors on 199 total chances). Olson settled in as a first-year catcher, compiling a .991 fielding percentage with only two errors, six caught stealing and four pickoffs. She batted .329 with six doubles, 19 RBIs and 23 runs scored, plus a .453 OBP. The Mohawks' leading hitter, Rogers batted .559 across 13 games, tallying 19 hits, 16 RBIs and scoring 12 runs. She doubled six times, tripled twice, and also swiped four bases. Rogers broke out for three hits, five RBIs and four runs scored in a 29-24 loss to Indiana Deaf in late April. Wheat played one JV game then made the jump to varsity, batting .415 over 256 games with 27 hits, 27 runs and 12 RBIs. She doubled three times, tripled four times and homered during that stretch and also stole 16 bases. White notched 23 hits with a .333 average for the Bruins. She tallied 21 runs and 14 RBIs, stole 10 bases and committed just two errors on 41 chances in the field (.951). Wolfe went 29-for-60 (.558) at the plate, scoring 20 runs and driving in 20 RBIs. She collected seven doubles, two triples and two home runs, and stole 11 bases in 17 games. Avon: Ada Dittemore; Brebeuf: Lila Epstein; Franklin Central: Maddie Baker, Olivia Starr; Guerin Catholic: Jillian Davis; Hamilton Southeastern: Sophia Feher; Indiana Deaf: Madison Dray; Mt. Vernon: Lexi D'Angelo; Park Tudor: Rachel Cudworth, Elle Feltman; Southport: Rachel Pfieffer, Warren Central: Julie Dever, Kennedi Nicholson; Westfield: Reese Gettinger, Cam Pulice; Whiteland: Addison Smith

Charlie Hughes Shootout standouts Part 1: 30 players who shined in high school basketball event
Charlie Hughes Shootout standouts Part 1: 30 players who shined in high school basketball event

Indianapolis Star

time4 days ago

  • Sport
  • Indianapolis Star

Charlie Hughes Shootout standouts Part 1: 30 players who shined in high school basketball event

CARMEL – It was a jam-packed weekend of high school basketball at the Charlie Hughes Shootout (technically called the IBCA/IHSAA Boys Team Showcase in Memory of Charlie Hughes). The added bonus is that the annual June event now comes during an evaluation period for college coaches. I was not able to see every team or every player, obviously. There were 199 teams playing over the three days. I tried to watch full games, or at least most of full games and not bounce around so much. I'm splitting this into two parts. These is the first group of 30 players I saw in person who caught my eye this weekend (years listed are for upcoming season): ∎ Keaton Aldridge Jr, Cathedral: The 6-3 senior left-hander is a physical player with an old-school game. Aldridge had 21 points in an impressive 22-point win over Avon and 25 in a 77-71 loss to Plainfield. Plays hard on defense and is a willing rebounder. Has offers from Detroit Mercy and Kent State. ∎ Prince Anga, Ben Davis: The 6-7 senior does not have much basketball experience, but I liked how he played against Westfield on Sunday. Big and strong. Can clear space in the paint and go get a rebound. Ben Davis always does a good job developing big men. Will be interesting to see how Anga contributes this season. Charlie Hughes Day 1: Noah Smith shines, Luke Ertel sits and 10 more takeaways Charlie Hughes Day 2: Jason Gardner Jr. makes 'money' play, Crown Point finishes 4-0 ∎ Harper Baker-Lands, Plainfield: Clearly one of the biggest high-risers of the weekend was the Quakers' 6-3 junior guard. Baker-Lands had a team-high 27 points in a 77-71 win over Cathedral and a team-high 31 points in a 92-88 win over Silver Creek. He also had 32 points in a four-point loss to South Bend St. Joseph. Great weekend overall for Baker-Lands, who averaged 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds last season. Plainfield went 3-1 with wins over Silver Creek, Mt. Vernon and Cathedral. Current offers are Eastern Illinois, Morehead State and Tulane. ∎ Malakai Bravard, Southport: Southport will create some matchup problems with James Kalala and Samuel Lloyd in the high post/low post game. The 6-1 Bravard can keep opponents honest with his outside shooting. The senior had 23 points in a seven-point loss to Crispus Attucks. Bravard was a 32% 3-point shooter last year but is capable of shooting at a higher rate. ∎ Ben Bremer, Carmel: Bremer, a 6-foot senior guard, will have a lot more on his plate this season as a ballhandler and scorer. He showed he can in a 4-0 weekend for Carmel, including a 21-point game in a win over South Bend St. Joseph. Bremer is the second-leading returning scorer (6.1 ppg) and top 3-point shooter (39%). ∎ Dane Caldwell, Silver Creek: The 6-9 senior continues to perform well for a Silver Creek team that will be one of the best teams in Class 3A. Caldwell had 26 points in a 92-88 loss to Plainfield on Friday. He is coming off a strong spring and has picked up offers in June from Bellarmine, Coastal Carolina, East Tennessee State and Miami of Ohio. Caldwell averaged 12.0 points and 7.0 rebounds as a junior. ∎ Caden Claxton, Shelbyville: Tough competitor. The senior guard had 20 points in a seven-point loss to Brownsburg and had to work hard for them. Claxton shot 37% from the 3-point line as a junior. He fills more roles than just a shooter, handing the ball and creating for others. Shelbyville is going to be a strong team in Class 3A again. Claxton averaged 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists last season. ∎ Derrick Cross Jr., Bloomington North: The 6-3 guard was really impressive with a 23-point game on Sunday in a win over Tri-West. He missed a couple minutes late with a turned ankle but seemed OK and came back in game. It was otherwise a weekend of close losses for the Cougars, who fell by one point to Cardinal Ritter and Fort Wayne Snider and by four points to North Central. Cross is a player. He averaged 16.2 points and 5.0 rebounds as a sophomore. Cross picked up an offer Sunday from Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and one earlier this month from Southeast Missouri State. ∎ Justin Curry, Noblesville: The 6-4 Curry recently picked up an offer from Nevada, adding to a list that already includes Northwestern, DePaul, Illinois-Chicago, Kent State, Indiana State and Toledo. Curry had a great weekend for the 3-1 Millers, who beat Gary 21st Century, Penn and Silver Creek before losing by four points to New Albany. Curry is clearly one of the best players in the class, coming off a season that saw him average 15.6 points and 5.6 rebounds. ∎ Kasen Daeger, Silver Creek: The 6-3 Daeger is coming off an ankle injury that is keeping him from his usual explosion, but he shot the ball well in the couple Silver Creek games I caught. Daeger shot 40% from the 3-point line as a junior, averaging 16.2 points per game. ∎ Mason Darrell, Crown Point: I watched quite a bit of Crown Point this weekend, which turned out to be a smart move as the Bulldogs went 4-0 with victories over Mt. Vernon, Parke Heritage, Lawrence North and Fishers. One of the big reasons was the play of the fiery Darrell, who averaged 14.1 points and shot 41% from the 3-point line as a junior. The 6-1 Darrell had 22 points in the win over Fishers and added 14 vs. LN. He makes things happen. ∎ Brock Detamore, Westfield: The 6-1 senior made some big plays down the stretch in Westfield's win on Sunday against Ben Davis. Detamore finished with 11 points. He might not be the most high-scoring player but has experience (8.0 ppg, 2.8 rebounds) and contributes in a lot of areas. ∎ Landon Gilliatt, Plainfield: The 6-foot Gilliatt had a great weekend, forming a tough trio with teammates Harper Baker-Lands and Noah Smith. He handles the ball well and can really shoot it, going for 22 points in a tough six-point win over Cathedral and 17 in a four-point loss to South Bend St. Joseph. Physical guard with good touch and great passing instincts. He averaged 9.5 points and 6.5 assists as a junior. ∎ Rylon Gore, Zionsville: Shot the lights out. I don't know his exact stats for weekend, but believe the junior guard was better than 50% from the 3-point line. I had him at 7-for-9 from the arc in a win over Mooresville on Sunday. Zionsville finished 4-0 with wins over Marion, South Bend Riley, Valparaiso and Mooresville. ∎ Drew Haffner, Westfield: The 6-4 Haffner called game against Ben Davis with a tough shot at the buzzer. Fun player. He has an outstanding offensive game and quickly picked up offers from Huntington and LeMoyne after the weekend (has previous offers from Indiana Wesleyan and Taylor). He averaged a team-high 12.4 points and 3.1 rebounds last year, shooing an eye-popping 48% from the 3-point line. ∎ Charles Hardiman, Merrillville: I had a chance to see the 6-4 sophomore in the Futures Game and really liked his offensive game. He had another good performance in a loss to Decatur Central, scoring 22 points. Hardiman averaged a team-high 15.5 points as a freshman, shooting 33% from the 3-point line. Merrillville went 1-3 with a win over Blackford and losses to Roncalli, Decatur Central and Gibson Southern. ∎ Evan Harrell, Carmel: Another one of the biggest standouts of the weekend. The 6-8 senior looked much more confident, athletic and efficient than he did at the end of his junior season. He put up 25 points in the last game of the day Sunday against Northridge and had a 20-point game on Saturday in a 13-point win over South Bend St. Joseph. I think we'll see Harrell have a big senior season. He averaged 10.1 points and 4.8 rebounds as a junior. ∎ Terrence Hayes Jr., Gary 21st Century: I really like this 6-1 left-handed point guard. Hayes ran the show against Terre Haute North in every way possible, hitting 3-pointers and leading the team in transition. Very impressive. Makes confident decisions and sees the floor. Long and rangy. Hayes averaged 20.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 3.4 steals as a junior. Has offers from Valparaiso, Northern Illinois, IU Indy, Youngstown State, Saint Louis, Nevada, Missouri State, Illinois-Chicago and Murray State. ∎ Brandon Hunter, Silver Creek: I have enjoyed watching the Dragons' 6-3 junior point guard play. Outstanding passer any player would love to have on his team. Has to be fun for him to have so much talent around him on this Silver Creek team. Hunter averaged 9.4 points, 7.5 assists and 6.1 rebounds last season. ∎ Dane Kunz, Whiteland: This is the one player on this list I did not see this weekend unfortunately. But the senior's 40-point game (on 8-for-10 shooting from 3) in a win over Andrean is worth including. Whiteland went 4-0 with wins over Andrean, Anderson, Lake Central and Taylor. ∎ Ja'Shawn Ladd, Ben Davis: To say the 6-4 Ladd has major upside is putting it mildly. He made a couple of moves against Westfield that showed where he can go as a player. Ladd finished with 14 points in that game and had 27 in a Saturday win over Gary 21st Century. Ben Davis also defeated Guerin Catholic and Fort Wayne South Side to finish 3-1. Ladd, who has an offer from Miami (Ohio), averaged 13.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists as a junior. ∎ Ryan Miller, Tri-West: I watched the junior guard score 13 points in Tri-West loss to Bloomington North on Sunday. He came back to put up 39 points later in the day in a 73-61 win over Mishawaka Marian. Miller averaged 13.5 points and 3.1 assists as a sophomore and shot 38% from the 3-point line. ∎ Sherman Moss-Wright, Ben Davis: The 6-4 Moss-Wright has great size at the guard sport and should benefit from his experience a season ago (7.0 ppg, 3.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists). Recently picked up offers from Marian and UIndy. Knocked down a couple late 3-pointers against Westfield, an area where he should be improved this season. ∎ Vincent Nover, Carmel: The 6-4 junior had good size at the guard spot. He can handle the ball and shoot. Nover played in only 11 games as a sophomore but looks like a player who can help the Greyhounds in a bigger role this year and really take off. ∎ Dikembe Shaw, Crown Point: The 6-7 Shaw was expected to be one of the top players to watch this weekend and he certainly did not disappoint. Shaw's best performance was probably his 31-point game in a win over Lawrence North but he also had 17 of his 24 in the first half of a 78-73 win over Fishers. He picked up a new offer from Murray State after the shootout, adding to Coastal Carolina, Illinois-Chicago, Indiana State, IU Indy, Miami of Ohio and Toledo. It will be interesting to see if a high-major program makes a move. ∎ Nash Sigmund, Decatur Central: The 6-1 junior guard can absolutely shoot the ball. He started 8-for-9 from the 3-point line in a 72-60 win over Merrillville and finished with 28 points. You don't always see teams face guarding opponents during June, but that happened to Sigmund, who averaged 9.8 points and shot 36% from the 3-point line as a sophomore. ∎ Baron Walker, Noblesville: If you have watched a lot of basketball in your life and can appreciate a player who plays hard, plays defense, makes the right play on offense and can score from multiple levels, I'm 99.9% certain you will like Walker's game. He has offers from Boston University and Indiana State. Averaged 15.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists last season for the Millers. ∎ Graham Wilson, Westfield: I don't make a habit of watching middle school games, so I had never seen this incoming freshman before. I was really impressed how he handled the ball and carried himself in a two-point win over Ben Davis, in addition to scoring seven points. The 5-11 Wilson looks like he's ready to contribute right away. ∎ Kayleb Young, Gary 21st Century: The 6-8 junior has a chance. Takes up space inside but he is light on his feet and has good touch. With good returning guards around him, Young should benefit. Like his game. ∎ Elyas Zapata, Decatur Central: The 6-3 senior had 17 points in Decatur Central's 12-point win over Merrillville, including a fastbreak two-hand dunk. Zapata is another nice piece for the young Hawks, coming off a season that saw him average 8.1 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Europe's 'hottest city' is a tourist hotspot but could be a desert in 30 years
Europe's 'hottest city' is a tourist hotspot but could be a desert in 30 years

Daily Mirror

time6 days ago

  • Climate
  • Daily Mirror

Europe's 'hottest city' is a tourist hotspot but could be a desert in 30 years

Seville is a popular tourist destination in Europe and is famous for its hot weather - but it could be set to become a desert in the next few decades One of Europe's "hottest cities" is a major tourist hotspot, but recent scorching temperatures have left some scientists worried. Sunny Seville is celebrated for its stunning architecture, pulsating nightlife, and, not least, its glorious weather. ‌ With an enviable average of 12 hours of sunshine a day and pleasant temperatures around 21C in March, the Spanish city offers the perfect city break escape while England endures often drearier climes. ‌ Come summer, however, the story changes dramatically. The city faces blistering heatwaves with mercury levels that can soar to a staggering 45C, often proving too much for many tourists. In recent times, soaring temperatures have raised alarm bells among climate scientists who fear Seville could be on the brink of becoming a desert, dubbing it the "Iberian oven". Nestled at the base of nearby mountains, Seville's landlocked position means it receives hot winds from Africa, which sweep across its plains. Weather experts are issuing stark warnings, suggesting we are "walking into unknown territory... the city is turning into a desert." The peak of the scorching heat typically arrives towards the end of July and into August, although this can vary depending on wind patterns. Adventurous souls keen to explore this vibrant metropolis must heed the risks, particularly during the torrid summers when threats of heatstroke and dehydration are ever-present. August 2023 witnessed the mercury hitting an astounding 40C, with temperatures consistently sizzling in the high 30s throughout the season. ‌ Travel enthusiast Huw Owen recommends spring and autumn getaways for their gentler weather, but reminds summer tourists to find shade from midday until 7 pm and enjoy the cooler evenings. Seville's breath-taking Cathedral and Alcazar Royal Palace serve as idyllic sanctuaries from the intense Spanish sun, allowing guests to explore without overexposure. The British Red Cross has come forward with essential guidance for Britons embarking on sunny escapades this year. Dr Ellie Murtagh from the charity has offered invaluable advice: "If you are travelling to a country experiencing extreme heat, there are several steps you can take to keep yourself and others safe. This includes wearing sunscreen, staying out of the sun during the warmest hours of the day, drinking plenty of water and drinking less alcohol. You can also help keep wherever you're staying cool by keeping blinds and windows closed." It's crucial to acknowledge that extreme heat brings significant health risks, particularly for the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with chronic conditions, so stay cautious and care for one another.

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