Revelers Cool Off With Water Guns At Madrid's Annual Water Fight Festival

Thousands flocked to Madrid’s Vallecas neighborhood Sunday armed with water guns, buckets full of water and hoses for the annual “Batalla Naval, ” also known as the Battle of Water, a water fight festival. Revelers dance to music and spray each other with water, giving themselves and others a chance to cool off in the July heat.

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The festival is a commemoration of an ironic fight for the neighborhood, which lies 217 miles from the Mediterranean Sea, to become a port, EuroNews reported. The country also celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a Catholic holiday, on the same day, and participants often celebrate with after parties fueled by paella and music once the water fight has died down.

The celebration occurred as Spain and much of Europe experienced high temperatures and recent heat waves. While the past few days have been slightly cooler, reaching highs of about 95 degrees Fahrenheit in Madrid, down from some highs of 104 degrees last week, according to weather.com senior digital meteorologist Jon Erdman, temperatures in the country are forecast to climb again early this week. Though the photos capture a jovial scene, the heat is reaching dangerous temperatures and officials throughout Europe were warning people to limit time in the sun and heat.

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C​lick through the slideshow above to see images of the celebration as water flies through the air.

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