London, UK

1. Close up dome of St Paul's Cathedral on skyline

2. London Eye wheel on skyline

3. Selling ice cream outside Buckingham Palace

4. People buying water, pans to Buckingham Palace

5. People drinking outside pub

6. Wide shot pub with people outside, man walks past on his mobile phone

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) London black cab driver:

"You're just perspiring all day long, very uncomfortable. "

8. Woman in deck chair, applying sunblock

9. Wide shot in Green Park with couple sunbathing

10. Close up couple sunbathing

11. Close up woman sunbathing with black bikini top

Paris, France

12. Pan from Eiffel Tower to fountains of Trocadero Gardens

13. Children jumping into fountain

14. Various people refreshing themselves under the fountains

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Frances, Canadian tourist from Toronto

"It's hot but I love it. I go to Florida a lot and I love the heat. So this is beautiful for me."

16. Woman, hitching up her dress and walking in the fountain

17. Molla in water with her child hugging her

18. SOUNDBITE (French) Molla, voxpop

"I've been here since this morning and it's very hot as you can see. It's good to be able to cool down at the Trocadero."

19. Children eating ice cream

Brussels, Belgium

20. Pan of Grand Place

21. Wide shot tourist walking through market place

22. SOUNDBITE: (English) Norwegian tourist, vox pop

"Wouldn't expect this of Brussels. From what I have read, it's supposed to be the second capital in Europe, after London , with most rain during the year. Wouldn't tell it."

23. SOUNDBITE: (French) Belgian boy, vox pop

"It is super cool but I think it is also too hot. I prefer when it rains a bit.'

24. Fountain in Royal Park with people sitting on grass in front of it

25. Office workers (in shirts and ties) in the park

26. Two woman on bench, soaking up the sun in the park

27. Young woman cooling herself at the edge of the fountain

Rome, Italy

28. Mid shot of Piazza della Rotonda with Pantheon

29. Various of German family eating ice-cream in center of Rome

30. SOUNDBITE: (English) Voxpop, German tourist mother:

"We came from Germany, it was already hot in Germany also, so we lived in Delhi, it was even more hot. I can't stand this heat."

31. Close up of German girl eating ice-cream

32. Mid shot of Piazza Navona

33. Mid shot of children washing their faces in water from the fountain

34. SOUNDBITE: (English) Voxpop, American tourist:

"The heat is excruciating, as beautiful as Rome is, it makes it almost unbearable just to enjoy the sites, but I am still having a good time."

35. Young men splashing their faces from water in the fountain

Summertime has arrived with a vengeance in parts of Europe, forcing dehydrated tourists to run for cover as officials scramble to limit the damage from drought and high heat.

For those not on holiday, the fountains and lakes of the capitals have provided some relief for office workers and visitors from the midsummer heatwave.

But with a temperatures in the mid 30s Celsius (high 80s to 90s Farenheit) the city centres were never going to be the coolest of places.

More hot weather is forecast for Wednesday, with thunderstorms predicted and, despite an initial respite, the soaring temperatures are set to return at the weekend.

Local government officials were talking about rationing water in 48 districts in Rome as they struggled to cope with water shortages and newspapers warned of a stiff price increase of up to 30 per cent in fruit and vegetables as farmers suffered from the lack of rain.

And London's mayor has offered a reward for anyone who invents an air conditioning system for the city's sweltering Tube.