European heatwave spikes sale of Chinese-made cooling units

The heatwave continues to cast over much of Europe with Czech Republic among the latest countries to experience record-shattering temperatures.

And as Europeans flock to buy air conditioning, there's a surge in demand for Chinese-made units and other creative heat-busting gadgets.

Umbrellas and fans in tow, Czechs are misting themselves to cool down as temperatures surge to record highs across the country.

The Czech Meteorological Institute says the temperature soared to 41.1 degrees Celsius in the northern town of Doksany Sunday, beating the previous day's record by more than one degree.

The heatwave that's been baking western Europe has now moved to central and eastern parts of the continent with the mercury soaring to record highs from Switzerland to Denmark.

In France, where the sun has been scorching for days now, lightning struck the iconic Eiffel Tower as a thunderstorm rages across the Parisian sky.

The country's public health agency says France saw heat-related deaths surge to more than 1,400 last week at the height of the record-smashing heatwave.

The numbers may continue to rise, the agency cautions, as more data is being collected.

As slews of Europeans seek relief, sales of air conditioning and other cooling devices are taking a sharp rise.

Thanks to cross-border e-commerce, Chinese manufactures are riding this historic heatwave.

This vendor at the Yiwu International Trade Market says sales are up about 20% year-on-year thanks to the increase in demand for cooling products across Europe.

A rush of export orders have pushed upstream manufacturers into full gear.

The manager of a Ningbo-based manufacturer says the heatwave has spiked demand for small household and portable outdoor ice makers by 70% compared to the year previous.