Faithful and tourists brave scorching sun and high temperatures in Rome and the Vatican

(24 Jun 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Vatican City - 24 June 2026 1. Various of faithful in St. Peter’s Square during Pope Leo XIV weekly audience using fans and umbrellaS to stay cool in the sun 2. Various of Pope on pope-mobile touring the square and waving to faithful 3. Close of woman in the audience using a fan 4. Faithful under the shade in St. Peters Square 5. Close of hand fan bearing the word “Rome” and a water bottle on a fence 6,. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Monica Ruiz, 52-year-old pilgrim from Spain: “We did not feel any heat at all, only great love to see the pope again. We followed him in his trip in Madrid and the vigil, and followed him in his trip. And just seeing him one forgets about everything. There is only the pope and the love he transmits.” 7. Wide of St. Peter’s Square and Basilica 8. Close of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica 9. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Father Gilberto de Oliveira Alves, priest from Brazil: “Today the pope delivers his catechesis, it’s so beautiful, it is hot but the suffering is worth it.” ASSOCIATED PRESS Rome, Italy - 24 June 2026 10. Various of tourists around the Trevi Fountain 11. Various of tourists in front of the Pantheon 12. Street sellers offering umbrellas to tourists 13. Tourists refreshing themselves by a fountain 14. Various of people drinking and collecting water at a public fountain 15. Hand fans, umbrellas and hats displayed for sale on a street pavement 16. Various of tourists refreshing themselves by fountains 17. Various of pharmacy shop’s sign showing current temperatures at 36 degrees Celsius (96,8 Fahrenheit) 18. Customers at tables outdoor and fans cooling the air STORYLINE: Faithful and tourists braved the scorching sun in Rome to have a glimpse of Pope Leo XIV who held his usual weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday morning. Italy is facing an intense early-summer heat wave, with the Health Ministry issuing maximum “red alerts” for 16 cities on Wednesday, rising to 17 on Thursday. Major cities including Rome, Milan, Florence and Turin are affected. The “bollino rosso” red alert signals emergency conditions that can affect not only vulnerable people but also healthy adults. Temperatures could reach highs of 41 C (105,8 F) in Florence and 38 C (100,4 F) in Milan, while Rome and Naples are forecast to remain below 36 C (96,8 F). Experts say nights offer little relief, with lows staying around 24–25 C (75 to 77 F), creating so-called tropical nights that disrupt sleep and recovery. Meteorologists warn the heat wave could rival the extreme summer of 2003, with little relief expected before early July. Record temperatures pushing up electricity use triggered limited power outages across several Italian cities, including Naples, Milan and Turin, disrupting services for thousands of people. The outages come as extreme heat has strained the power grid, with air conditioners driving sharp increases in electricity consumption during peak hours. AP video shot by Andrea Rosa and Trisha Thomas =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: [email protected]. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...