ITALY-TOURISTS/WEATHER Tourists in Rome flock to fountains to cope with heat

Record ID: 148568

  • Title: ITALY-TOURISTS/WEATHER Tourists in Rome flock to fountains to cope with heat
  • Date: 3rd July 2015
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (JULY 3, 2015) (REUTERS) PEOPLE AT SPANISH STEPS PEOPLE SITTING IN SHADE ON SPANISH STEPS WOMAN DRINKING FROM FOUNTAIN PEOPLE STANDING BY FOUNTAIN VARIOUS OF PEOPLE PUTTING HANDS IN FRONT OF WATER JETS MAN FILLING UP WATER BOTTLE MAN SPLASHING WATER ON FACE MAN WALKING AWAY FROM FOUNTAIN MAN DRINKING FROM FOUNTAIN CHILD SPLASHING WATER ON HEAD (SOUNDBITE) (Engl
  • Embargoed: 18th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA65ET9NWGZF4Y62PO9976CR2KB
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Tourists in the Italian capital used various strategies to cope with the heat on Friday (July 3) as temperatures were predicted to reach 39 degrees Celsius (102.2 Fahrenheit).
    There were queues at many of the city's fountains, with people filling up bottles and splashing themselves with water.
    Others sought shade to shelter themselves from the sizzling sun.
    But some visitors were undeterred by the heat.
    "The weather is fantastic and it looks so amazing for us. There are so many expressions, feelings and different colours," said Polish tourist Katya.
    "In this temperature we are getting up in the morning and because it is the easiest way to visit and then we fall asleep in the siesta time," she said.
    Rome residents had other ideas on how to keep cool.
    "A wet towel on the head - that's how hot it is!" said Sandro, happy to demonstrate how to do it.
    "I keep putting water on my neck - it's advice for everyone; if you have a bandana, wet it and put it on your head, and drink lots of water," said Roberto.
    Some tourists found it hard to cope.
    "It's very hot, very hot. You can't even breathe," said Jette from Denmark.
    An Argentinean couple took turns putting their heads under jets of water to refresh themselves.
    Other tourists turned to a more traditional way of keeping cool: eating a gelato.
    Weather forecasters predicted that temperatures would stay high over the coming weekend, but might drop slightly next week.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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