Thousands of Fourth of July visitors were again ordered to leave Washington DC’s National Mall as extreme heat and incoming thunderstorms disrupted Donald Trump’s high-profile America 250 anniversary celebrations.
The Daily Mail was at the National Mall when evacuation instructions were announced over the loudspeakers. Some attendees responded with boos, while others rushed toward the stage area for the planned event before Secret Service personnel turned them away.
Trump is expected to address the crowd at 9.45pm, with organizers planning what they have described as the world’s largest fireworks display at 10.30pm.
The President has said he intends to give a “really long speech” despite oppressive triple-digit heat, which had already forced a temporary shutdown of the America 250 events on Friday.
“Just to show that I can do anything,” Trump said Wednesday. “It’s gonna be 107.”
Washington DC remains under an extreme heat warning until 9pm, while a severe thunderstorm warning is also in place through 10pm.
By Saturday, the nation’s capital was experiencing a RealFeel temperature of 107 degrees, according to AccuWeather.
A dangerous heat wave affected America’s 250th anniversary events, as intense temperatures bore down on Washington DC on Saturday
On Saturday evening, thousands were ordered to evacuate from the National Mall because of incoming thunderstorms
The Freedom 250-backed Great American State Fair, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the US, opened at noon today because of the extreme heat
America 250 revelers booed the announcement when the evacuation orders rang out due to the severe weather
National Guard members were seen passing out waterbottles to guests in order to guard against the dangerous heat dome
The organizers of the Salute to America event, Freedom 250, urged guests to evacuate event grounds and seek temporary shelter in a nearby building.
The Department of Education, Internal Revenue Service, VOA Building, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, National Museum of American History, National Museum of Natural History, and the Ronald Reagan Building were listed as shelters.
To battle the heat, cooling stations and tents, as well as water distribution points, had been set up for guests, who have come to DC from all over the nation.
Trump addressed the scorching weather again shortly before 3pm today on Truth Social.
‘Despite the heat, which isn’t as bad as predicted, the crowds in D.C. are INCREDIBLE!’ Trump wrote.
A temperature reading taken from the thousands of chairs came out at roughly 160 degrees on Saturday afternoon, NBC News reported.
The President also noted that the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool at the National Mall ‘looks great, despite all it went through with the Vandal Thugs.’
‘Will quickly drain and fix the damage done right after this big weekend,’ Trump added.
The opening of the Great American State Fair was pushed back from 10am to noon today due to the heat, according to NBC Washington.
People had braved the blazing heat and waited in lines for hours to get in.
The severe weather also caused evacuations in Boston, where thousands of revelers were evacuated the city’s esplanade due to the storms, MassLive reported.
A severe thunderstorm warning is also in effect until 10pm in Washington DC. Freedom 250 has asked guests to take shelter
President Donald Trump is set to deliver a speech at 9.45pm today to mark the 250th anniversary of America’s independence. He has suggested it will be a ‘really long’ one
Temperatures are expected to cool in DC and across the east coast tonight because of thunderstorms
Washington DC had a real feel temperature of 107 on Saturday
People from all over the US braved the blazing heat to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary at the National Mall
On Friday, the DC Fire and EMS Department said that 44 people had been treated for heat-related illnesses at the National Mall event, which at one point was temporarily closed due to the weather.
From that group, 11 people were taken to the hospital, with seven in more serious condition, according to the outlet.
Other events have also been disrupted because of the brutal temperatures. That included the National Independence Day Parade in DC, which was suddenly canceled on Friday night.
The heat dome has engulfed the entire east coast, even becoming deadly in parts of the region.
At least 19 people in New Jersey have died from suspected heat-related causes, state authorities said Saturday, according to NJ.com.
Most of the deaths involved people in homes without air conditioning, according to New Jersey Health Commissioner Raynard E. Washington.
Some were found outside of their homes on the street or in parked cars, Washington added.
He stressed that some of the people who died were ‘younger adults.’
‘It’s important to note that the age ranges for these individuals were not just the elderly,’ Washington said, per the outlet.
Washington noted that this was ‘not a typical summer heat wave,’ as it could ‘become life-threatening really quickly.’
Trump is scheduled to speak at the Salute to America event at the National Mall at 9.45pm, followed by a massive firework display
The heat caused the opening of the Great American State Fair to be delayed from 10am to noon today
Washington DC is under an extreme heat warning until 9pm tonight, which is about 45 minutes before the beginning of Trump’s Independence Day speech
44 people were treated for heat-related illnesses at the Great American State Fair on Friday, with 11 taken to the hospital
The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that numerous temperature records were expected on Independence Day.
Philadelphia hit its third straight day of 101 degrees on Saturday, which marked the first time that ever happened, according to the weather service.
On Thursday, a 68-year-old man died from a heart attack due to heat exhaustion in Bethel Township, about 25 miles southwest of Philadelphia, according to CNN.
New York City reported temperatures in the high 90s throughout the day after days of triple digit temperatures.
The city’s electric grid was under heavy strain due to the heat, with energy giant Con Edison asking some customers in Queens and Brooklyn to conserve energy.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported increasing rates of heat-related illness in the Northeast.
The extreme heat could ease somewhat with thunderstorms expected across the east coast later in the night.
