Extremely hot weather has started to hit most of the United States, with temperatures set to peak over the weekend, meteorologists say.

Axar.az reports citing BBC.

The heatwave could affect about 200 million people in major cities like New York, Washington and Boston in the East Coast, and the Midwest region too.

In some places, temperatures could be close to or exceed 100F (38C).

Experts say heatwaves are becoming more frequent, a phenomenon that is linked to climate change.

The world experienced its hottest June on record this year, with an average temperature worldwide of 61.6F (16.4C), according to new data.

Earlier this month, the US state of Alaska, part of which lies inside the Arctic Circle, registered record high temperatures.