Dangerous Heat Wave Roasts US’ 250th I-Day Celebrations

Nearly 160 million Americans were under either major or extreme heat warnings as the country prepared to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence, according to the National Weather Service.

Celebrations on the National Mall, the vast expanse of grass that runs from Congress to the Washington Monument, were partially postponed Friday afternoon due to the heat.

A young woman apparently suffered heat exhaustion and was evacuated by paramedics from the Great American State Fair being held at the mall.

“It’s like the 30th person,” one event staffer said. “They may have to close this (event).”

Less than 90 minutes later, organizers did just that.

In New York City, the heat index (apparent temperature when humidity is factored in) stood at 105F (41C) in the afternoon, slightly lower than the 115F forecasters were predicting.

Still, the severe heat has sparked a massive government response, with cooling centers opening across the city and public swimming pools extending operating hours.

The National Weather Service said “multiple daily temperature records are expected today and Independence Day, with some consecutive daily, monthly and all-time records possible” across the country.

– Heated celebrations –

Earlier Friday, 76-year-old retiree Hang Dang said he wouldn’t let extreme temperatures keep him from attending Fourth of July celebrations in Washington.

Dang told AFP that he traveled 12 hours from Florida to attend the festivities and said, “I came to the USA from Vietnam in 1975 and… I was here for the bicentennial.”

“I said I had to come back for the 250th because I don’t think I’ll make it to the 300th!” he joked as a Marine Corps Osprey plane flew nearby.

As temperatures soared toward an estimated 102F, lines to enter the state fair were more than 400 ft (135 m) long by noon.

Inside the festival, participants were protected under the short noon shadow created by temporary buildings set up for the event.

A woman standing outside a mansion shouted repeatedly: “Homeland Security, here! Spin the wheel and win the prize! Full-power air conditioning there!” while pointing at the door.

About an hour later, a voice came over the public address system: “Attention fair goers, the event is postponed. We will reopen at 5:00 pm… Please proceed to the nearest exit.”

– Scorching matches –

In Miami, a city no stranger to heat, Argentina and Cape Verde will face off at 6 p.m. in a stadium with partial roof canopy but no air conditioning. The estimated heat index for the 6pm kickoff was 100F.

On Saturday, France and Paraguay will face off in Philadelphia, where the heat index could reach 105F.

Due to the heat, FIFA has introduced a mandatory “hydration break” during each half of every match at this World Cup, but it is unclear whether this will be sufficient for matches played outdoors during the heatwave.

– Stressed gratings –

Preliminary data showed the daily temperature record in the US capital was likely broken as the nearby airport reached 102F, surpassing the previous July 3 record set in 1966, when the mercury reached 101F.

Intense heat and the resulting use of air conditioning were straining the electricity grids across the country.

New York City utility Con Edison said its crews had restored power to about 60,000 residents after outages caused by the heat wave.

More than 22,000 people were without power in New York City and some suburbs around 4:30 pm (2030 GMT) on Friday.

PJM, the company that coordinates multiple grids serving 67 million customers on the East Coast and parts of the Midwest, said it was considering asking data centers to switch to emergency backup power on Thursday to relieve the grids, among other actions. Although that call was not made, the company said it was an option for Friday.