Millions bracing for severe storms as heat wave continues

Fireworks could be impacted in New York City and surrounding areas.

Camera operators and technicians cover their equipment due to thunderstorms in the area during the "Salute to America" Independence Day celebration on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on July 4, 2026. The nation is marking the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Indpendence.

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.

Camera operators and technicians cover their equipment due to thunderstorms in the area during the "Salute to America" Independence Day celebration on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on July 4, 2026. The nation is marking the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Indpendence. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

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

An evacuation notice is displayed on a screen as a storm approaches during Fourth of July celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 4, 2026. Evan Vucci/Reuters

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, into New Jersey and New York City, 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.

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

People cover themselves from the sun with an umbrella, during a summer heat wave, at Coney Island, Brooklyn, in New York City, U.S., July 4, 2026. Jordan Tovin/Reuters

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.

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 was 102 degrees, making it the hottest July Fourth on record for the city. This breaks the previous record high of 100 degrees set on July 4th, 1919.

Cool air vents from a metro station under the National Mall as people attempt to cool off during extreme temperatures at the Great American State Fair, marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 4, 2026. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Relief from the extreme heat has settled into parts of the Midwest, as well as upstate New York and northern New England for the Fourth 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.

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.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 03: Members of a high school band from Alabama receive water outside of Independence Hall after news that the Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade has been canceled due to extreme heat on July 03, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The long-awaited parade celebrating the nation's 250th birthday was cancelled due to an extreme heatwave bringing dangerous triple digit temperatures to much of the eastern United States. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

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.

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.