Among the events disrupted by the sweltering heat was the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, a centerpiece of President Donald Trump's efforts to mark the nation's 250th birthday.
The fair, designed to showcase all 50 states, was temporarily closed on Friday afternoon as temperatures reached 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
People cover themselves from the sun with an umbrella, during a summer heatwave, at Coney Island, Brooklyn, in New York City, U.S., July 4, 2026. Photo by Reuters
Late on Friday, organizers of the National Park Service's Independence Day Parade in Washington announced they had canceled the annual event due to safety concerns. The parade had been scheduled to start at 10:30 on Saturday, with the Weather Service projecting heat index values to reach as high as 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
Record-breaking temperatures spread to the eastern U.S. from the Midwest earlier this week due to the emergence of a high-pressure system known as a "heat dome," which traps a mass of hot air over a region and can cause humidity to spike.
