The United States is about to celebrate its 250th birthday, but as millions across the country prepare to gather this weekend for parades, concerts and festivals, an intense heat wave has settled over much of the eastern US.Officials across the region are warning that the extreme heat could pose serious health risks over the Fourth of July weekend.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listHere’s what you need to know about how the weather will affect the celebrations.What is America’s 250th anniversary?It has been 250 years since the United States adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Unlike a typical Independence Day, this year’s celebrations are unfolding on a much bigger scale, capping years of preparation and planning.Landing in the midst of a highly polarised moment in American politics, planning for the anniversary has also been contentious.A decade ago, Congress tasked a bipartisan commission known as America250 with organising the celebrations.But last year, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order to put his own “Freedom 250” planning committee in charge of many of the anniversary’s marquee events, including the Great American State Fair on the National Mall.Initially, a variety of musicians were announced as performers for the fair, including country singer Martina McBride, the soul group The Commodores and the pop duo Milli Vanilli. But many withdrew in late May and early June over concerns over the fair’s affiliation with Trump.Last week, in lieu of the performers, the US president delivered a speech to open the fair, billing himself as the “Number One Attraction anywhere in the World”. Advertisement He has also promised to mark the July 4 holiday in Washington, …
