Heat wave threatens US Independence 250th anniversary celebrations

Washington.- The extreme heat wave shaking the United States and exposing 70% of its population to dangerous temperatures threatens to dampen the celebrations for the country’s 250th anniversary of independence, which begins a busy long weekend this Friday with millions of trips and hundreds of events to celebrate the milestone.

The National Weather Service warned on X that “a prolonged and dangerous heat wave will continue today in the Midwest and the Mississippi Valley, and will persist through the Independence Day weekend in the Ohio Valley, the Mid-South, and the East Coast.”

Read more: Extreme heat wave affects 238 million people in the United States

These conditions are expected to persist for the next few days, while experts forecast that the combination of stifling humidity and highs could result in record temperatures for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states.

Territories at highest risk include New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Alabama, or Mississippi.

The capital, Washington, where the thermometer is expected to exceed 38 degrees Celsius, is also under alert and its authorities have asked attendees of the Great American State Fair for the country’s anniversary to take precautions.

The organizers of a large outdoor concert this Friday featuring artists such as Patti LaBelle, Chicago, and Kool & the Gang in the vicinity of the Capitol will proceed with the event, but announced that they will open the doors at 8:00 PM local time (00:00 GMT), one hour later than planned.

“People at risk of suffering from heat-related health problems should take extra precautions,” they noted in a statement, where they urge attendees to stay hydrated.

Cities like Washington and New York will host large celebrations for the date tomorrow, Saturday, which will include military parades, festivals, outdoor concerts, and fireworks. In the capital, drinking water stations and large fans have been installed for those attending the festivities on the National Mall.

The heat has caused the company Amtrak to cancel more than 20 trains in the Northeast portion, in the midst of one of the busiest seasons, when more than 72 million Americans are expected to travel during this July 4th holiday weekend.

A report published this Friday by the scientific network World Weather Attribution states that the combined intensity of heat and humidity this week in the northeast of the country would have been “virtually impossible” without the effects of fossil fuel pollution.

In the face of the threat of extreme heat, record use of air conditioning is expected, so to ensure the stability of power grids in the eastern U.S., large energy consumers, including data centers, have been ordered to cooperate to prevent power outages.