Millions bracing for severe storms as heat wave continues

On July 4, 2026, over 75 million Americans faced severe weather threats as extreme heat continued, impacting celebrations for America's 250th birthday. Major cities from the Midwest to the Northeast were under Severe Thunderstorm Watches, with risks of damaging winds and flash flooding. The record heat led to power outages affecting nearly 800,000 customers, causing the cancellation of several Independence Day events, including parades in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Despite some areas experiencing relief, dangerous temperatures persisted in others, prompting safety precautions from organizers and transportation services.

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JON HAWORTH, NADINE EL-BAWAB and DAN PECK

Sat, July 4, 2026 at 9:07 PM UTC

5 min read

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The widespread extreme heat is fueling another round of severe weather, impacting a large swath of the country as July Fourth celebrations continue Saturday afternoon and evening.

More than 75 million are in the threat zone for severe storms in the coming hours, stretching across parts of the Plains into the Northeast, with the primary hazard being damaging wind gusts.

The greatest threat on Saturday spans across parts of the mid-Atlantic, including Washington, D.C., and Baltimore and into parts of Kansas and Oklahoma, under a level 3 of 5 risk, with numerous severe thunderstorms packing potentially destructive wind gusts possible in these areas.

Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images - PHOTO: Water is distributed as people enter the Great American State Fair on the National Mall during a celebration of America's 250th Independence Day on July 4, 2026, in Washington, D.C.

Severe Thunderstorm Watches have expanded and now stretch from Missouri to upstate New York this afternoon, including major cities like Chicago, D.C., and Philadelphia.

ABC News - PHOTO: timing the storms map

The watch remains in effect for the Chicago area until 8 p.m. ET, while the one issued for parts of the mid-Atlantic, including D.C., Baltimore, and Richmond, Virginia, is currently set to remain in effect until 10 p.m. ET.

For Philadelphia, much of New Jersey into upstate New York, the watch there is set to remain in effect until 11 p.m. ET.

Fireworks could be impacted in New York City

Fireworks could be impacted in New York City and surrounding areas Saturday as the bulk of the thunderstorm activity farther north looks to be later, generally between 8 to 10 p.m. ET.

ABC News - PHOTO: severe weather threat map

Any slow-moving thunderstorms with torrential rain could also trigger areas of flash flooding where the heaviest rain develops.

The severe weather threat will linger for parts of the mid-Atlantic on Sunday, stretching from northern Virginia into southern New Jersey, with cities like Richmond, DC, Baltimore and Philly in the threat zone once again.

ABC News - PHOTO: storm map

Life-threatening heat wave continues, but relief is coming

Overall, more than 140 million Americans remain under heat alerts Saturday afternoon.

The heat is slightly less intense than Friday; however, it remains dangerously hot for many of the same areas this afternoon.

The preliminary high temperature in Washington, D.C. on Saturday is 101 degrees, making it the hottest July 4th on record for the city.

Relief from the extreme heat has settled into parts of the Midwest, as well as upstate New York and northern New England for the 4th of July holiday, however more widespread relief sweeps across much of the Northeast on Sunday.

High temperatures Sunday will be in the upper 80s in New York City and only reach the mid-70s in Boston. A big improvement compared to the past several days.

Thousands of power outages reported

The extreme heat has strained the power grid in some areas.

As America begins to celebrate its 250th birthday on Saturday, there are nearly 800,000 customers without power as outages are reported across multiple states.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images - PHOTO: Philadelphia Cancels Its Parade Celebrating America's 250th Due To Extreme Heat

According to tracking site PowerOutage, nearly 779,000 homes are without power across states in the Midwest and Northeast that have been impacted by severe weather and extreme heat.

That number, which will fluctuate throughout the day as crews work to restore power, is for households, meaning that the number of people impacted by these outages is likely to be much larger.

The outages come as some areas are expected to experience severe weather and stifling heat again on Saturday.

Millions of Americans, however, will be contending with a heatwave that is blanketing much of the country, including in Philadelphia where the Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade that had been set for Friday was canceled due to the dangerous heat wave, according to Philadelphia ABC station WPVI.

ABC News - PHOTO: heat wave map

Elsewhere, America's Independence Day Parade, which was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on July 4 in downtown Washington, D.C. was canceled by organizers late Friday evening due to the extreme heat in the District of Columbia.

"The organizers of America's National Independence Day Parade, scheduled for July 4, 2026, at 10:30 AM, have regretfully canceled the parade due to extreme heat in the Washington, D.C., region. The National Weather Service has an Extreme Heat Warning for the District of Columbia, with heat index values expected to reach between 110°F and 115°F," a statement on the website said.

"This decision was made after extensive consultation with the National Park Service, the District of Columbia City Government, and Freedom 250, and careful consideration of the safety of our participants, spectators, and staff as the top priority," the statement continued.

Amtrak announced it will be canceling a number of trains due to heat-related conditions.

"Due to temperature-related conditions, Trains 88, 106, 107, 142, 159, 163, 666, 667, 694, and 695 are canceled in their entirety. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause," Amtrak said in a post on X.

The Great American State Fair and FIFA Fan Zone on the National Mall will open at noon Saturday, two hours later than originally planned, because of the extreme heat, organizers announced Friday.

The delay is the latest weather-related schedule change from Freedom 250 as Washington, D.C., faces another day of dangerous triple digit heat.

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