As Europe sweats through record-breaking temperatures, Asian makers of air conditioners, like South Korea’s Samsung Electronics, China’s Midea and Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric, are enjoying a boom in sales.

While nearly 90% of US homes have air conditioning, in Europe it’s around 20%, and some countries have much lower rates.

Atmospheric patterns are trapping hot air for days, driving temperatures steadily higher – a phenomenon exacerbated by global warming, experts say