Heat and severe storms damper July Fourth celebrations, leave hundreds of thousands without power

July 4, 2026 / 6:50 PM EDT

/ CBS/AP

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Deadly storms and a heat wave marred American's 250th birthday for swathes of the United States, leaving hundreds of thousands of utility customers without power.Millions of Americans across the Northeast experienced record-setting temperatures — thunderstorms in the Midwest downed trees, ruptured power lines and made transportation treacherous and complicated across multiple states.Storms trigger power outages amid intense heat waveA vicious storm struck the New York area late Friday, leaving hundreds of thousands of utility customers without power in the middle of a heat wave. The mercury hit a sweltering 98 degrees in Central Park Friday, CBS New York reported.Atlantic City, New Jersey, set its highest temperature for July at 105 degrees, the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center said Saturday.

A person shields themselves from the sun at Pier 57 during a heat wave ahead of the International Parade of Sail, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in New York.