America’s 250th birthday marks the final stretch of one of the most intense eastern US heat waves in years, with high temperatures in the 90s and low 100s forecast from New England into the Southeast.
Heat Wave Details
The heat wave has already broken at least three dozen daily high temperature records, with many warmest-low-temperature records as heat reached levels that some cities haven’t experienced in more than a decade.
A 68-year-old man died after trimming bushes on July 2 in Bethel Township, Pennsylvania, due to heat exhaustion. The CDC reported “extremely high rates of heat-related illness” in regions across the Northeast on Thursday.
The July Fourth parade set for Saturday morning in Washington, DC, was canceled due to extreme heat in the nation’s capital. President Donald Trump’s Great American State Fair is opening two hours late at 12 p.m.
Storm Threat
Thunderstorms could be another uninvited guest this Independence Day, with extreme heat and humidity fueling a storm threat for parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast beginning Saturday afternoon.
Some of these storms could be severe and deliver damaging wind gusts, but any thunderstorm will contain lightning — a major danger for any outdoor activities, especially for anyone trying to escape the heat in or on the water.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.