Washington, United States. A dangerous heat wave disrupted Fourth of July celebrations across parts of the central and eastern United States on Friday, prompting officials to cancel or postpone parades, concerts and fireworks displays. More than 185 million people were under heat alerts as temperatures and heat indexes reached record or near-record levels in several cities.
Holiday events canceled and delayed
Among the disrupted events was the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, a central part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to mark the nation’s 250th birthday. The fair, created to showcase all 50 states, was temporarily closed on Friday afternoon as temperatures reached 101 degrees Fahrenheit, or 38 degrees Celsius.
Late on Friday, organizers of the National Park Service’s Independence Day Parade in Washington said the annual event had been canceled because of safety concerns. The parade had been scheduled to begin at 10:30 ET on Saturday, with the National Weather Service projecting heat index values as high as 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heat dome spreads across the East
Record-breaking temperatures spread to the eastern United States from the Midwest earlier in the week because of a high-pressure system known as a heat dome. The system traps a mass of hot air over a region and can cause humidity to increase sharply.
The National Weather Service said peak heat indexes could reach 115 degrees Fahrenheit, or 46 degrees Celsius, in parts of the country.
Power systems under pressure
The extreme heat placed added strain on electricity systems. PJM, the largest U.S. power grid operator, which serves 67 million people in the Mid-Atlantic, the South and Washington, D.C., ordered customers enrolled in emergency conservation programs to reduce usage.
The operator said the measures were needed to address generator outages, overloaded transmission lines and increased demand for air conditioning during the heat.
In New York, Con Edison said about 17,000 customers were without power as of late Friday afternoon. As electricity demand rose, the utility urged customers in New York City and Westchester County to conserve power.
Conditions intensify in New York City
In New York City, shoe soles stuck to Manhattan streets as adhesives softened in the heat. Despite the city’s extreme heat warning, crowds gathered on sidewalks near Madison Square Garden to watch celebrity guests arrive for what was widely expected to be the wedding celebration of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.
A worker directed SUVs carrying guests into the venue while holding a water bottle in one hand and using a towel to wipe sweat from his face with the other.