Visitors to the Vatican seek respite from heat by washing clothes in fountains

Scorching heat continued to grip Italy on Sunday 16 July with temperatures reaching around 39C and expected to rise, as tourists in Rome struggled to find relief and shelter.

Those venturing out in Italy’s capital Rome and the Vatican drenched themselves in fountains or took shelter behind fans in the hope of relief from the heatwave which has been named “Cerberus”.

The high-pressure anticyclone coming from the south was named after the three-headed dog in ancient Greek mythology who guarded the gates to the underworld.

Fifteen cities in Italy, most of them in the country’s centre and south, were under heat advisories signalling a high level of risk for older adults, infants and other vulnerable people.