A punishing heat wave threw Fourth of July plans into disarray across broad stretches of the central and eastern United States.
With temperatures climbing dangerously high, officials in Washington and other cities scrapped or delayed dozens of parades, concerts and fireworks shows.
One of the highest-profile disruptions hit the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, a signature event in President Donald Trump’s campaign to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday.
The fair, intended as a showcase for all 50 states, was temporarily shut down yesterday afternoon after temperatures climbed to 38C.
The parade was set to begin at 10.30am local time today, even as the Weather Service warned that heat index readings could soar to 46C.
More than 185 million people were under heat alerts yesterday
Record-setting heat that baked parts of the midwest earlier this week pushed into the eastern United States as a high-pressure system known as a “heat dome” settled in, trapping hot air over the region and driving up humidity.
The brutal weather also put pressure on power systems.
PJM, the largest US power grid operator, which serves 67 million people across the Mid-Atlantic, parts of the South and the Washington DC region, told customers enrolled in emergency conservation programs to cut electricity use.
Officials said the measures were necessary as generator outages, stressed transmission lines and soaring demand for air conditioning collided under the heat.
In New York, utility company Con Edison said roughly 17,000 customers were without power as of late yesterday afternoon.
As usage climbed, the company urged customers in New York City and Westchester County to conserve electricity.
In Manhattan, the heat was so intense that shoe soles clung to city streets as adhesives began to soften.
Even an extreme heat warning did little to thin the crowds in New York City, where fans lined sweltering sidewalks outside Madison Square Garden to catch a glimpse of celebrity arrivals for what was widely expected to be the wedding celebration of singer Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.
The National Weather Service said more than 185 million people, or over half the US population, were under heat alerts yesterday.
In some parts of the country, peak heat index values were expected to reach 46C, while several cities recorded new temperature highs.
Forecasters and public officials have warned that the heat wave could turn deadly.
They urged Americans heading outdoors for the long holiday weekend to drink plenty of water, find shade and stay alert for symptoms of heat-related illness at public gatherings and celebrations.
Heat index values could climb to 46C in parts of the United States
Cancellations spread up and down the Eastern Seaboard over the 4 July weekend, a period when Americans usually mark the 1776 Declaration of Independence from Britain with barbecues, parades and fireworks.
In Philadelphia, officials called off the Salute to Independence Parade, one of the centrepiece events of the city’s festivities, because of the extreme heat.
The move followed temperatures reaching 39C on Thursday, matching a record high previously set in 1901.
Across the region, other communities also saw holiday plans disrupted by the weather.
Haddon Township, New Jersey, cancelled its annual 4 July parade.
Watertown in upstate New York scrapped its Independence Day concert and fireworks display.
In Boston, officials pushed back entry to the city’s annual riverside fireworks celebration by four hours, opening access at 4pm instead of noon.
