Blistering heat forced organizers across large parts of the Midwest and East Coast to cancel or delay July Fourth celebrations on the eve of the holiday.
Washington saw a large fair along the National Mall closed temporarily amid the conditions, while Philadelphia canceled its main Independence Day parade. A township in New Jersey ended its annual procession, and shows in upstate New York, along with a delayed Boston fireworks display were among those affected.
The cancellations came as the largest U.S. power grid operator ordered customers in emergency electricity-reduction programs to curtail usage as a heat wave drove demand toward a 20-year record high….