President Joe Biden is reportedly mulling over whether to declare a climate emergency.

The Washington Post first reported that such a move could come as early as this week, with Biden scheduled to travel to Somerset, Massachusetts, on Wednesday to deliver remarks on climate change. Later in the day, though, the timeline was extended and a decision now is expected in the “coming weeks.”

Biden last week promised “strong executive action” after climate legislation talks fell apart in the Senate.

“Action on climate change and clean energy remains more urgent than ever,” Biden said in a statement. “So let me be clear: If the Senate will not move to tackle the climate crisis and strengthen our domestic clean energy industry, I will take strong executive action to meet this moment. My actions will create jobs, improve our energy security, bolster domestic manufacturing and supply chains, protect us from oil and gas price hikes in the future and address climate change.”

Pressure intensified this week after Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Democrat, and Sen. Jeff Merkley, Oregon Democrat, on Monday called on the president to declare a climate emergency and invoke the Defense Production Act to ramp up production of renewable energy products.

“It is time for the Biden administration to pivot to a very aggressive climate strategy,“ Merkley said.

Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia dealt a devastating blow last week to fellow Democrats when he said he wouldn’t support the climate legislation that they had hoped to pass before August recess. With an evenly divided Senate, Manchin’s support was critical to the effort.

While political pressure to do something about climate change in the U.S. heats up, record temperatures across the pond further underscore worries over a hotter future.

Britain shattered its record for highest temperature ever recorded on Tuesday at 104.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The previous record set in 2019 was 101.7.

“If confirmed this will be the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK. Temperatures are likely to rise further through today,” the country’s weather service said on Twitter.

Chief scientist Stephen Belcher said such temperatures were “virtually impossible” without human-driven climate change, according to the Associated Press. He said that Britain “could see temperatures like this every three years” without serious steps to address carbon emissions.

The development comes as much of Europe is facing extreme temperatures and wildfires./usnews