When the temperature rises to dangerous levels, Rome's civil protection agency make sure it is ready for action. At a command center in the heart of the Italian capital, officers closely monitor every change in the weather on giant screens. Remote cameras scan the countryside surrounding the city, looking for any sign of a wildfire breaking out.

‌"We have sudden changes in the weather, we go from waves of extreme heat to intense rainfall," said Giuseppe Napolitano, Director of the Civil Protection Department of Rome. 

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"Citizens need to understand that the world is changing rapidly. Institutions can go after the problem and search for the best way to facilitate change, and protect people better," he added.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do

‌For thousands of tourists at Rome's iconic sights, the heat makes their days of leisurely strolling around the 'Eternal City' feel like an endless chore. Several tourists have collapsed while out sightseeing this month, with local authorities urging visitors to download and use a special app that can help them find the nearest source of water.

Romans are used to hot summers and have some tricks and tips that they adopt to keep cool. They keep themselves hydrated using the cast-iron drinking fountains, or nasoni, which can be found all across Rome. The local authorities started installing them back in the 1870s. The water from these fountains is clean and cool and the locals often stop to fill up their water bottles or just splash some water on their face.

A game of hide and seek

‌The extreme heat hovering over Europe has been triggered by an area of high pressure named 'Cerberus,' which in Greek mythology is a three-headed dog that guards hell in Dante's Inferno.

‌"We have an area of stable high pressure which has spread from Africa towards Europe. This brought, last year, the hottest summer ever recorded in Europe and this year we're very close to surpassing that record again. The problem is that with climate change, we're breaking record after record," Massimo Frezzotti, a climate scientist at Roma Tre University, told CGTN.

‌Even with slightly cooler summers in the past, Rome traditionally empties out in July and August as the locals who can afford it flee the city for the beach or the mountains.

‌For those who cannot, it's simply a game of hide and seek: hiding from the sun and seeking out some air conditioning or just a spot of shade.

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