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Not only Europe, but also the United States are groaning in record heat.
Large-scale blackouts and fires are occurring one after another as the maximum temperature approaches 50 degrees Celsius in some parts of the south.
President Biden has declared an emergency and has issued an executive order to respond to the heat wave.
Correspondent Yunsu Kim from Washington.
<Reporter> The
cracked ground.
In the south-central United States, including Texas and Arizona, daytime highs exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.
In some areas, temperatures soared above 50 degrees, approaching record highs of 56 degrees, measured in California in 1913.
As the demand for electricity surged due to the extreme heat wave, large-scale blackouts occurred in various places.
[Kyla Grims / Resident of Arkansas, USA: At night, I sleep in there and I can't breathe.
Then you have to come out.]
Fires followed.
Nearly 100 large-scale fires have occurred in 13 states in the United States, and a heatwave warning has been issued for most of the central and southern regions, and a heatwave emergency has also been declared in Boston in the northeast.
President Biden has declared the situation an emergency.
He formally said he did not declare a national emergency, but that he would do everything possible within the power of the president, including by executive order.
[Biden/President of the United States: This is an emergency.
We will consider it an emergency and take action.
As President, I will mobilize administrative measures to combat climate change.]
Here in Washington DC, the daytime temperature rose to 34 degrees today (21st).
Highs of 40 degrees are predicted this weekend, so the heatwave in the United States is expected to reach its peak this weekend.