A punishing heat wave threatened America’s July 4th celebrations, World Cup matches and power grids as near-record temperatures scorched the eastern United States on Friday.
Around 160 million Americans were under either major or extreme heat warnings as the country prepared to mark the 250th anniversary of its independence, according to the National Weather Service.
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Celebrations on the National Mall - the vast lawn stretching from Congress to the Washington Monument - were partially postponed in the early afternoon on Friday because of the heat.
A young woman apparently suffered from heat exhaustion and was evacuated by paramedics from the Great American State Fair, being held on the Mall.
