Washington Independence Day parade cancelled amid extreme heat

Washington, D.C.'s Independence Day Parade has been cancelled because of extreme heat, becoming the latest event to be disrupted by a dangerous heat dome affecting large parts of the eastern United States ahead of the country's 250th Independence Day celebrations.

The parade had been scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time on July 4, marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, Bloomberg reports.

Organisers announced the cancellation in an email late on July 3 after the U.S. National Weather Service issued an Extreme Heat Warning for Washington, D.C., forecasting heat index values of 110 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (43–46 degrees Celsius).

The organisers said the decision followed a detailed assessment of weather conditions, with public safety being the primary consideration.

“This decision was made after a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the situation, in which the safety of participants, spectators, and staff was identified as the top priority.”

The cancellation comes as an intense heat wave continues to sweep across a significant portion of the United States.

According to the U.S. Weather Prediction Centre, as of July 3, extreme heat warnings or heat advisories were in effect for more than 197 million people, stretching from Kansas to Maine, as the persistent heat dome drives dangerously high temperatures across much of the eastern part of the country.

By Sabina Mammadli