Record shattering heat wave impacts America

A record number of people have fled wildfires in Greece and in the US, the sweltering heat is now spreading north and east.

Transcript

00:00 This morning, the record shattering heat wave

00:02 from coast to coast has turned more deadly.

00:05 In Texas, officials in Fort Worth

00:08 announcing four heat-related deaths in the county this month,

00:11 including a 26-year-old man working outdoors.

00:16 Today, Las Vegas could hit 110 degrees

00:19 for the 11th consecutive day.

00:21 In Phoenix, a possible 25th consecutive day.

00:25 Americans are also facing much higher electricity bills.

00:29 Many small business owners say they are struggling,

00:32 including those in Palm Springs, California,

00:34 where it was 116 degrees this weekend.

00:37 It is really a double whammy,

00:39 because not only do we have less business,

00:41 but our costs, like electricity, is higher.

00:44 Utility bills nationwide were already expected

00:47 to be up nearly 12% this summer, compared to last year.

00:51 The operators of the Texas utility grid

00:53 say surging demand has broken records

00:56 10 times in recent weeks.

00:59 (explosion booms)

01:00 Record heat also gripping Europe, fueling wildfires.

01:04 A record 19,000 tourists have been forced

01:07 to flee the Greek island of Rhodes,

01:09 escaping by plane or boat.

01:11 And today, new evacuations on the island of Corfu.

01:15 I have never been so scared in my entire life.

01:17 During this summer of weather extremes,

01:20 more than 10,000 heat and rainfall records

01:23 have been set globally in just the last month.

01:26 The Earth is screaming at us.

01:29 Washington Governor Jay Inslee says

01:31 this record heat is proof

01:33 that climate change is harming the planet.

01:36 We now understand that the beast is at the door.

01:38 We knew this beast of climate change was coming for us,

01:42 but now it's pounding on the door.

01:43 So we have to dramatically increase our efforts.

01:46 Rhianna Nally, ABC News, New York.