Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Jul 5: A record-breaking heat wave sweeping across large parts of the United States is suspected to have claimed at least 25 lives, while severe thunderstorms disrupted Independence Day celebrations and left more than 1.3 million electricity consumers without power.

The National Weather Service said nearly 156 million people across the eastern two-thirds of the country remained under heat alerts on Saturday as a high-pressure heat dome pushed temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in several cities, including Washington, D.C., Norfolk and Raleigh.

At the National Mall in Washington, where thousands gathered for the "Salute to America 250" celebrations marking the nation's 250th Independence Day, emergency workers treated several people for heat-related illnesses. Organisers also temporarily suspended festivities after authorities warned of an approaching severe thunderstorm, prompting crowds to seek shelter before US President Donald Trump delivered his address later in the evening.

The same weather system produced severe thunderstorms across several states, bringing damaging winds, hail and widespread power outages stretching from Oklahoma to Connecticut. Michigan recorded the highest number of outages with more than 305,000 customers affected, followed by New Jersey and Missouri.

Authorities linked 22 heat-related deaths to the extreme weather in New Jersey alone. Most victims, aged between their 30s and 80s, were found inside homes without air conditioning, while others were discovered outdoors or inside parked vehicles.

New Jersey Health Commissioner Dr Raynard Washington said emergency resources, including cooling equipment and generators, were being deployed to healthcare facilities, with some patients evacuated from affected centres.

One heat-related death was also reported in Cook County, Illinois, while Mississippi officials confirmed two fatalities, including a 74-year-old man whose body was found behind a petrol station after he was reported missing.

The National Weather Service said cooler air moving southward is expected to weaken the heat dome over the coming days, bringing relief to parts of the Northeast. However, it warned that persistently warm nights and high humidity would continue to pose serious health risks.