Record heat forced organizers to cancel one of the country's largest July 4 parades, drove Amtrak to slow trains across the Northeast and pushed grid operators into conservation mode Friday as the eastern United States sweltered through the opening of America's 250th anniversary weekend.
Philadelphia called off its Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade, the Great American State Fair on the National Mall closed for several hours after multiple heat-related illnesses, and cities from New Jersey to Colorado scrapped Independence Day events. More than 165 million people across the eastern United States and Midwest were sweltering under record temperatures on Friday, the National Weather Service said, with Philadelphia and Washington forecast to reach 104 degrees Fahrenheit and 103 degrees, feeling like 112 and 111 with humidity.
Parades scrapped
The Philadelphia parade, organized by Wawa Welcome America, had been billed as one of the biggest 250th anniversary events in the country. "As much as this decision pains everyone inside our organisation, we simply cannot host an event of this size and scale under these dangerous heat conditions," Michael DelBene, the group's chief executive, said. Officials in Lower Windsor Township, Pa., rescheduled a celebration for July 8, and Norristown canceled another parade citing safety concerns.
In Washington, the Great American State Fair on the National Mall closed Friday afternoon after temperatures topped 102 degrees. The District's Fire and EMS Department said at least 11 people were taken by ambulance from the fair. Organizer Freedom 250 reopened the site at 5 p.m. local time. U.S. Capitol Police delayed public entry to the A Capitol Fourth concert from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Amtrak slows
Amtrak canceled several Northeast trains and warned that others would run behind schedule. "Extreme heat can cause rail, bridge and overhead wires to expand," the railroad said Thursday. "As a precaution, Amtrak may enact heat restrictions, which can require locomotive engineers to operate trains at lower speeds, resulting in potential delays."
Grid pressure
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani asked residents to set air conditioners to 78 degrees to ease demand on the grid, deployed more than 200 teams to check on homeless residents and opened cooling centers equipped with misting fans. New York hit 100 degrees on Thursday, its hottest reading since 2012. "These are extremely dangerous conditions," Mamdani said. Boston offered free admission to several air-conditioned museums, and Providence, R.I., extended hours at public pools and water parks.
Trump presses on
Not every event stood down. President Trump plans to speak outdoors Saturday at the National Mall celebration despite the forecast. "I'm gonna make a really long speech just to show that I can do anything," Trump said. The Great American State Fair reopened Friday evening after conditions improved.
Forecasters expect the heat to intensify Sunday in Virginia, the Carolinas and the Southeast before building into the western United States and Canada next week. Severe thunderstorms carrying damaging hail, destructive winds, flash flooding and a few tornadoes are expected to sweep the northern Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes as the front breaks.