‘Extremely high’ rates of heat-related ER visits, CDC says, with more coming Saturday

Key Points:

• A deadly heat wave is gripping the eastern U.S., breaking temperature records including 102°F in Washington, DC, the highest since 1872, and causing heat-related illnesses and deaths, such as a fatal heart attack in Pennsylvania linked to heat exhaustion.
• Extreme heat has led to cancellations and delays of major Fourth of July events, including parades in Washington, DC, and Philadelphia, as well as delayed openings of celebrations like President Trump's Great American State Fair.
• Power outages affected thousands in the New York metro area due to high electricity demand from air conditioning use, with utilities implementing voltage reductions and urging residents to conserve energy to prevent further strain on the grid.
• The heat wave's severity is attributed to human-caused climate change, with experts stating that such extreme heat and humidity would have been "virtually impossible" without fossil fuel pollution, exacerbating health risks especially for vulnerable populations.
• Cities including Washington, DC, New York, Philadelphia, and Boston have opened cooling centers and expanded public resources to help residents cope, while transportation services like Amtrak have canceled numerous trains due to temperature-related issues.