Europe faces scorching early summer heat

As a punishing heatwave grips Europe, temperatures in Seville reached 42 degrees Celsius, prompting locals and visitors alike to seek ways to stay cool.

 In Rome, temperatures have reached highs of 38 degrees Celsius. The island of Sicily in the south has banned outdoor working during the hottest part of the day. Italy's trade unions calling for the policy to be extended.

Ambulances stood on standby near tourist hotspots as experts warned that such heatwaves, intensified by climate change, would become more frequent, Scientists say climate change is stoking hotter and more intense heatwaves, particularly in cities where the so-called "urban heat island" effect amplifies temperatures among tightly packed buildings.