Southern Europe roasts as first heatwave of the summer scorches continent

Elderly people, who find shelter from a heatwave in a municipal cooling centre, look at the weather forecast, in Athens, Greece [Stelios Misinas/Reuters]

Europeans are braced for the first heatwave of the Northern Hemisphere summer, as climate change pushes thermometers on the world’s fastest-warming continent further into the red.

With temperatures expected to rise to 37 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Italian capital, Rome, on Saturday, the Eternal City’s many tourists and Catholic pilgrims to the Vatican alike have been converging around the Italian capital’s 2,500 public fountains for refreshment.