Record heat disrupts America’s 250th birthday celebrations and travel

A record-setting heat wave is blanketing much of the U.S. as millions of Americans gather for Independence Day, prompting the cancellation of events marking America’s 250th birthday.

A record-setting heat wave is blanketing much of the U.S. as millions of Americans gather for Independence Day, prompting the cancellation of events marking America’s 250th birthday.

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More than 110 million people are under extreme heat risk, according to the National Weather Service, while more than 150 million remain under heat alerts stretching from Kansas to Maine.

Several East Coast cities could break daily or all-time July temperature records Friday. Forecasters say Philadelphia could reach 103 degrees, just shy of its all-time July record of 104, while New York City’s Central Park is forecast to hit 102 degrees after reaching 100 degrees Thursday, its first triple-digit reading since 2012.