Extreme heat has disrupted Fourth of July celebrations across the eastern United States, forcing the temporary closure of the White House's flagship Great American State Fair on the National Mall and prompting organisers to alter or cancel several outdoor events.

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More than 165 million people were under record-breaking temperatures on Friday across the East Coast and Midwest, according to the US National Weather Service, as one of the year's most intense heatwaves coincided with the Independence Day holiday.

Freedom 250, which is organising the Great American State Fair in Washington, DC, temporarily closed the event during the hottest part of the day.

Heat Forces Closures and Event Changes

"The safety and well-being of our guests, volunteers, performers, vendors, and staff is our highest priority," the organisation said in a social media statement.

The fair was scheduled to reopen at 17:00 local time after conditions were expected to improve.

The heatwave comes as President Donald Trump hosts celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, while several FIFA World Cup matches are also taking place outdoors.

Warnings Across the East

The National Weather Service warned that parts of the Midwest and eastern United States face "major" or "extreme" heat-related health risks.

Temperatures in Washington, DC, and Philadelphia were forecast to reach about 106F (41C), close to all-time records. Forecasters also predicted three consecutive days above 100F (38C) in Philadelphia and four such days in Washington.

Although hot and humid weather is common during North American summers, meteorologists said the scale and geographic extent of this heatwave make it particularly dangerous.

The hottest conditions are expected to continue through the holiday weekend before gradually easing early next week in some areas.

Holiday Events Curtailed

The extreme temperatures have affected many traditional Independence Day activities, including parades, festivals and concerts.

In Washington, US Capitol Police delayed public entry to the outdoor A Capitol Fourth concert until 19:00 local time because temperatures were expected to exceed 100F (38C). Entry to the National Mall for the evening fireworks display was also delayed until 17:00, while the fireworks themselves were scheduled to begin at 22:30, later than usual.

America 250, the bipartisan commission established by Congress to oversee the country's 250th anniversary commemorations, said it was closely monitoring weather conditions but expected its events, including block parties in Boston, Philadelphia and New York City, to continue.

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President Trump is still expected to deliver an outdoor address on Saturday despite the forecast heat. He told supporters he intended to give "a really long speech just to show that I can do anything."

In Philadelphia, organisers cancelled Friday's Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade because of the dangerous conditions.

Michael DelBene, chief executive of Wawa Welcome America, said cancelling such a major event at short notice was "heartbreaking", but safety had to come first.

Storms to Follow the Heat

New York City reached 100F (38C) on Thursday, its hottest day since 2012, with the heat index remaining in triple digits on Friday. Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the conditions as "extremely dangerous".

While temperatures are expected to ease slightly in some central areas over the weekend, dangerous heat will persist across parts of the East before shifting towards Virginia, the Carolinas and the southeastern United States. Hot conditions are also forecast to spread into western parts of the US and Canada next week.

Forecasters also warned that severe thunderstorms could sweep across the northern Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes, bringing damaging winds, large hail, flash flooding and the risk of isolated tornadoes as cooler air replaces the heat.

Canada has also experienced unusually high temperatures, with heat warnings issued across much of Quebec, including Montreal and Quebec City. In Ontario, temperatures were expected to reach the mid-30s Celsius.

Thunderstorms left more than 137,000 Hydro-Québec customers without electricity at their peak on Thursday evening. More than 51,000 customers remained without power on Friday morning, with outages largely caused by strong winds and lightning.

Scientists say heatwaves are becoming more frequent, longer-lasting and more intense because of human-induced climate change. Global temperatures have risen by about 1.1C since the industrial era, with further warming expected unless greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 4 July 2026

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Amazing how people underestimate extreme heat. It quietly claims far more lives than most weather events.

8 minutes ago, Nemises said:

Amazing how people underestimate extreme heat. It quietly claims far more lives than most weather events.

That is because many are plainly stupid, go out in the hot sun at noon, no hat, not enough water, no sunblock. Just see all those shirtless 50 yr oldies in Thailand acting up big in the blazing heat.

^ There’s certainly some of that, but extreme heat can overwhelm even healthy people. It’s one of those hazards that’s easy to underestimate until it happens to you.

The modern Dorothy in a modern retelling of the Wizard of Oz would say, "There's no such thing at climate change. There's no such thing at climate change."

I guess we are finding out.

24 minutes ago, Sigmund said:

That is because many are plainly stupid, go out in the hot sun at noon, no hat, not enough water, no sunblock. Just see all those shirtless 50 yr oldies in Thailand acting up big in the blazing heat.

I'll bet that the shirtless old geezers acting up big in the blazing heat in Thailand are Brits too.

21 minutes ago, Purdey said:

The modern Dorothy in a modern retelling of the Wizard of Oz would say, "There's no such thing at climate change. There's no such thing at climate change."

I guess we are finding out.

I fully expect a certain despotic head of state to claim his 250th birthday party has being deliberately wrecked by unpatriotic and treasonous dumocrat climate terrorists.

41 minutes ago, Purdey said:

The modern Dorothy in a modern retelling of the Wizard of Oz would say, "There's no such thing at climate change. There's no such thing at climate change."

I guess we are finding out.

Don't be silly....the climate changes all the time. Just like approx 11 000 years ago when temps shot up about 10 degrees in a few decades.

It’s not stopping my road trip.

5 hours ago, NanLaew said:

I fully expect a certain despotic head of state to claim his 250th birthday party has being deliberately wrecked by unpatriotic and treasonous dumocrat climate terrorists.

Or some lefties at DARPA controling the weather to sabotage the event.

5 hours ago, blaze master said:

Don't be silly....the climate changes all the time. Just like approx 11 000 years ago when temps shot up about 10 degrees in a few decades.

Following the ice age, 11,000 years ago, the global average was approximately 13°C to 13.5°C (55.4°F to 56.3°F). For comparison, the pre-industrial average was about 13.7°C, while modern greenhouse gas emissions have pushed current global temperatures past 14.8°C.

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-qa/whats-hottest-earth-has-been-lately

This heat wave has been a comfortable excuse to stop the fiasco.

'Huge' crowds never arrived. 10 States didn't even arrive. The band played to a crowd of 14 people. The stage began dropping ceilings on performers while they danced. Nothing good came from this waste of taxpayer money. As expected.
So he cancelled the event and blamed it elsewhere. As expected.
And yet the MAGA fans still drool over their god. As expected.

11 minutes ago, FolkGuitar said:

This heat wave has been a comfortable excuse to stop the fiasco.

'Huge' crowds never arrived. 10 States didn't even arrive. The band played to a crowd of 14 people. The stage began dropping ceilings on performers while they danced. Nothing good came from this waste of taxpayer money. As expected.
So he cancelled the event and blamed it elsewhere. As expected.
And yet the MAGA fans still drool over their god. As expected.

They are coming round…..more and more of them are realizing they were conned.

44 minutes ago, Tug said:

They are coming round…..more and more of them are realizing they were conned.

I'll believe in fairies and Father Christmas if @Yagoda renounces Trump... 😉

It looked okay in Prescott Arizona

That's where toddlers (age 4-7) try to ride sheep bareback at America's so-called Oldest Rodeo, weirdos.

And those other bareback riders in NYC times square are pretending it's Warm Season New Years Eve

HELLO ANDERSON COOPER 😄

America is alright.

250th anniversary of Freedom from the King worshipping the Mango Golf Cheating Hustler Aluminum Siding Used Car Salesman gonna be talking about himself for hours.

Can't wait to hear the classics about hard choices between sharks and boats with batteries--the classic middle class kitchen table issue and getting a windmill stuck up his @ss in Scotland and weak, sad trans weightlifters.

Perfect mascot for a crumbling empire run by rich billionaires and millions of anxious sheep. 😄

7 hours ago, blaze master said:

Don't be silly....the climate changes all the time. Just like approx 11 000 years ago when temps shot up about 10 degrees in a few decades.

...and despotic narcissists hadn't been invented yet. Those were the days, eh?

Climate change, yes - the operative word being the verb 'change' as in the climate is being deliberately altered.

It's more like geo engineering, for your destruction, a la direct energy weapons.

You don't get it or what?

Heat can kill.

We need to not underestimate it's lethality.

Especially elderly folks.

And fans work up to a certain heat threshold, but cannot save you beyond a certain temperature.

This Amish guy claims to have a system to cool the house that people used before AC was invented.

8 hours ago, Nemises said:

^ There’s certainly some of that, but extreme heat can overwhelm even healthy people. It’s one of those hazards that’s easy to underestimate until it happens to you.

True enough. Before I moved here, around 60, top health, I was building decks and gazebos with a cousin, along with my main job selling guns. Texas gets super hot a lot of the time from April on, and with no clouds and with temperatures of 85 to 100 Fahrenheit (29-38 or more C), you have to make sure you not only get enough water before and during working, but to take breaks. One day I almost passed out and had to quit. Light headed and hot skin, even with constant drinking of water. A couple thousand die yearly in America alone from the heat.

2 hours ago, Purdey said:

Following the ice age, 11,000 years ago, the global average was approximately 13°C to 13.5°C (55.4°F to 56.3°F). For comparison, the pre-industrial average was about 13.7°C, while modern greenhouse gas emissions have pushed current global temperatures past 14.8°C.

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-qa/whats-hottest-earth-has-been-lately

Look at that spike its at least 8. So I was off in remembering the exact numbers. Point still stands. There was a huge spike.

Is there a grid power failure going on in eastern US?

3 hours ago, IsaanT said:

I'll believe in fairies and Father Christmas if @Yagoda renounces Trump... 😉

renounce what? my financial advisor loves him btw.

10 hours ago, NanLaew said:

I fully expect a certain despotic head of state to claim his 250th birthday party has being deliberately wrecked by unpatriotic and treasonous dumocrat climate terrorists.

And that the poor attendance was due to the heat!

3 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

True enough. Before I moved here, around 60, top health, I was building decks and gazebos with a cousin, along with my main job selling guns. Texas gets super hot a lot of the time from April on, and with no clouds and with temperatures of 85 to 100 Fahrenheit (29-38 or more C), you have to make sure you not only get enough water before and during working, but to take breaks. One day I almost passed out and had to quit. Light headed and hot skin, even with constant drinking of water. A couple thousand die yearly in America alone from the heat.

Main job selling guns. You're part of the problem, Fred.

Did you personally know and vouch for any of those buying your guns?

If not, who did they shoot?

5 hours ago, FlorC said:

Or some lefties at DARPA controling the weather to sabotage the event.

Conspiracy Claim Targets Washington Weather

Kylie Jane Kremer, the activist listed as the permit holder for the rally that preceded the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol, suggested extreme summer heat in Washington had been deliberately engineered by opponents of President Donald Trump.

In a post on X, she argued that liberals had manipulated both the current heatwave and the freezing conditions during Trump's inauguration earlier this year, blaming what she described as "Trump <removed>". She offered no evidence to support the allegation.

Experts Reject Weather Manipulation Theory

The comments followed forecasts showing Washington facing temperatures among the highest anywhere on Earth that day, outside major desert regions.

Meteorologists have consistently said there is no evidence that existing weather modification techniques can create or control large-scale weather events such as heatwaves, cold snaps or major storms. While limited cloud seeding technology exists, experts say its capabilities are far more restricted than conspiracy theories suggest.

Critics Pounce on Latest MAGA Claim

The post prompted swift criticism across the political spectrum. Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger dismissed the theory, while other commentators mocked the suggestion that political activists could control seasonal weather patterns.

Several critics also highlighted what they saw as an inconsistency between rejecting mainstream climate science while embracing unsupported claims of deliberate weather manipulation.

MAGA suspects Trump sabotaged by liberals armed with weather machines

5 hours ago, FlorC said:

Or some lefties at DARPA controling the weather to sabotage the event.

Just as sensible as all your posts.

4 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Main job selling guns. You're part of the problem, Fred.

Did you personally know and vouch for any of those buying your guns?

If not, who did they shoot?

I'm not part of the problem, as there isn't a problem, besides of course mental illnesses. No one who ever bought a gun at our store, thousands, ever shot anyone, let alone any of those I sold.

6 hours ago, bannork said:

Conspiracy Claim Targets Washington Weather

Kylie Jane Kremer, the activist listed as the permit holder for the rally that preceded the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol, suggested extreme summer heat in Washington had been deliberately engineered by opponents of President Donald Trump.

In a post on X, she argued that liberals had manipulated both the current heatwave and the freezing conditions during Trump's inauguration earlier this year, blaming what she described as "Trump <removed>". She offered no evidence to support the allegation.

Experts Reject Weather Manipulation Theory

The comments followed forecasts showing Washington facing temperatures among the highest anywhere on Earth that day, outside major desert regions.

Meteorologists have consistently said there is no evidence that existing weather modification techniques can create or control large-scale weather events such as heatwaves, cold snaps or major storms. While limited cloud seeding technology exists, experts say its capabilities are far more restricted than conspiracy theories suggest.

Critics Pounce on Latest MAGA Claim

The post prompted swift criticism across the political spectrum. Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger dismissed the theory, while other commentators mocked the suggestion that political activists could control seasonal weather patterns.

Several critics also highlighted what they saw as an inconsistency between rejecting mainstream climate science while embracing unsupported claims of deliberate weather manipulation.

MAGA suspects Trump sabotaged by liberals armed with weather machines

Yeah , yeah , we all know you can use AI in all your posts.

Yawn.

Oh look the sun came out and its great weather and the Libs are melting down.

Like Maggie said, Global warming is a wonderful excuse for global socialism.

I reject your hysteria and misinformation and will have a bonfire tomorrow to celebrate freedom. Hopefully its a hot day.

🔥 🔥

10 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Oh look the sun came out and its great weather and the Libs are melting down.

So it's because the liberals are melting down, according to your claim, that the events organised by the NON liberals had to shut down?

Amazing fantasy you have Jonny.