A historic heat wave gripping the eastern United States forced the cancellation of Washington’s annual Independence Day parade on Saturday, as temperatures soared past 38°C and the National Mall’s “Great American State Fair” was temporarily shut down following multiple heat-related collapses. Organisers cited “extreme heat” and safety concerns for the abrupt changes to the 250th anniversary celebrations of American independence.
The parade, a fixture of the capital’s July 4 festivities, was scrapped just hours before it was scheduled to begin, while the fair on the National Mall between the Capitol and the Washington Monument was closed for several hours on Friday after emergency services treated dozens of attendees for heat exhaustion. “The safety and well-being of our guests, volunteers, artists, vendors and staff is our absolute priority,” a spokesperson for the Freedom 250 planning committee said .
Forecasters warned that the heat dome trapping the region could push the “feels-like” temperature to 43°C, with more than 165 million Americans under heat advisories. Newark, New Jersey, recorded 40.5°C on Thursday, a local record, while Washington’s National Weather Service predicted afternoon highs above 38°C on Saturday. The extreme conditions mirrored Europe’s deadly heatwave just a week earlier, with scientists from the World Weather Attribution group stating that such temperatures would have been “practically impossible” without climate change. “For the 250th birthday of the US, our study provides a stark reality check,” said Theodore Keeping of Imperial College London .
Despite the cancellations, President Donald Trump reiterated plans to deliver a lengthy evening address in Washington, framing it as a defiant gesture against the heat. “I’m going to give a long speech tonight—only to show that I can do anything,” he told supporters at a Mount Rushmore rally on Friday, where he also railed against “communist” influences in US politics . The event, billed as the “most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all,” was originally intended to feature performances by artists including Martina McBride and The Commodores, but all withdrew amid controversy over the fair’s association with the administration .
Across the eastern US, at least two dozen parades, concerts and fireworks displays were either cancelled or postponed, from Philadelphia’s “Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial” to a planned concert in Watertown, New York. Power grids strained under the demand, with thousands left without electricity in New York City alone .
The disruptions came as the US marked the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a milestone overshadowed by political divisions and environmental extremes. While organisers scrambled to adapt, the heat wave underscored the growing intersection of climate crises and national celebrations, with officials warning that such conditions may become the new norm.
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