Heatwave forces closure of Great American State Fair as Fourth of July holiday weekend begins

A brutal heatwave has dampened Fourth of July celebrations in Washington, DC, after extreme temperatures forced the temporary closure of the Great American State Fair on the National Mall and other such events.

"The safety and well-being of our guests, volunteers, performers, vendors, and staff is our highest priority," the event organisers said.

The US National Weather Service has said that more than 165 people have been sweltering under record temperatures along the US East Coast and Midwest.

The heatwave has threatened the many programs scheduled by the Trump administration during the holiday weekend, as well as the FIFA World Cup matches taking place outdoors.

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Freedom 250, one of the main organisers of the events, has said that the State Fair will reopen at 17:00 local time when the weather cools down a bit.

Heatwave makes people sick

On Friday, the DC Fire and EMS Department reported several heat-related illnesses at the fair, a spokesperson told the BBC.

The department transported 11 people by ambulance from the state fair, seven of whom required a higher level of medical care, the spokesperson said. He could not confirm how many of the transports were related to heat-related illnesses.

Talking to the Washington Post, the spokesperson for EMS said, "It is going to be a very busy weekend. We know that there are going to be heat-related illnesses on and off the Mall, and we encourage our residents and visitors to take precautions if you're going to be out in the heat."

Heatwave across US

The extreme heat was expected to persist through the weekend as the year's most intense heat wave so far pushes temperatures to levels not seen in some areas for decades.

The scorching conditions follow an unprecedented stretch of early summer heat across Europe, where several countries recorded all-time or near-record temperatures.

While hot, humid weather is common across much of North America during the summer, the current heat wave has driven temperatures well above seasonal averages in many regions.

According to the NWS, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, will record temperatures of 40C over the weekend.