Photos of Romanians Battling the Hottest Summer in Half a Century

This article originally appeared on VICE Romania

While the UK is faced with what weather experts have started referring to as a “shit summer”, large parts of Europe are sweltering in a heatwave, aptly nicknamed “Lucifer“. Over the past month, temperatures across the middle and south of the continent have consistently reached an almost unbearable 40 degrees celsius, breaking decades-long records in some regions and causing wildfires, droughts and very sweaty backs.

In honour of Lucifer, I asked 17 Romanian photographers to document the way our countrymen are coping with the hottest August the country has seen since 1951. Looking at the results, it’s clear that we’re carrying the oppressive heat with grace, good humour and buckets of ice water to the face.

Scroll down for a selection of the photos that were sent in.