A dangerous heat wave is gripping much of the United States, pushing temperatures past 100 degrees from Nashville to New England. Authorities describe some of the most severe conditions in more than a decade and are bracing for the worst as the extreme heat settles in around the July 4 holiday.
The surge in demand is straining the power system. The regional grid that services 13 states and Washington, D.C. has been cleared to operate at maximum output, without the usual environmental constraints, as electricity use skyrockets in the heat. Thousands of power outages have already been reported in Ohio.
Cities are scrambling to protect residents. In New York City, cooling vans staffed with paramedics are being deployed, and officials warned that the dangerous conditions will affect every part of the city, urging people to take the risk seriously.
In Philadelphia, officials declared a health emergency and shortened the city's Fourth of July parade to limit exposure to the heat. Other cities have gone further, canceling planned events altogether rather than risk holding them in the extreme temperatures.
Authorities are especially concerned about the most vulnerable. In Dearborn, Michigan, officers rescued an infant just in time after the child was accidentally locked in a car, with officials warning that babies cannot tolerate that level of heat for very long, a matter of minutes rather than hours.
The heat is not the only hazard tied to the weather pattern. Parts of the West are under critical fire danger, adding to the strain on emergency services already stretched by the temperatures across the central and eastern parts of the country.
Officials are repeating the same core guidance as the heat continues. People are urged to stay hydrated and stay cool, to be mindful of pets on hot pavement, and never to leave children in vehicles, precautions that take on added urgency during one of the most intense heat spells in years.