Rome's delivery riders work through record heat as heatwave poses survival test

On Wednesday, as temperatures soared across Rome and much of Europe, delivery riders dashed through the capital's streets during the most dangerous hours of the day. Activists armed with thermal imaging cameras detected extreme surface temperatures in Rome's public spaces. "You have to work," one rider told reporters, capturing the economic pressure that forces gig workers to ignore heat warnings even as public health officials urge people to stay indoors.

The scene in Rome reflects a broader tension across Europe's heatwave: while governments issue red alerts and close public spaces, precarious workers—those without formal employment contracts or paid leave—face the choice between exposure and lost income. The Guardian and other international outlets have documented similar patterns across France, Spain and Italy, where heat-related deaths have mounted. For Rome specifically, the visibility of delivery workers labouring in peak heat underscores how the capital's informal and gig economy operates outside the protections that formal employment offers.

The heatwave gripping Europe has pushed temperatures toward 40 degrees Celsius across much of the continent. France recorded its hottest day on record on Tuesday, with 40 deaths attributed to heat. The UK broke its June temperature record. Italy, including Lazio, has been placed on red alert by civil protection authorities. Rome's delivery workers represent a segment of the capital's workforce—estimated in the thousands across platforms like Uber Eats, Deliveroo and local operators—who lack the formal labour protections that would allow them to pause work during extreme heat without losing income.

The World Health Organization on Wednesday urged European leaders to invest in climate-resilient healthcare as heatwaves intensify. The WHO chief warned that "people are at risk," citing heat-related illness and mortality. For Rome, a sprawling capital with ageing infrastructure and a large informal workforce, the challenge compounds: public cooling centres exist, but not all workers have access or time to use them. The thermal imaging footage published by activists serves as a direct measure of street-level conditions—one that international outlets are using to document the human cost of Europe's heat crisis at ground level.