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An intense heatwave is looming this Friday over Florida and much of the United States, just as millions of people prepare to celebrate the 4th of July, a date marking the country's 250 years of independence, according to Univision in its weather forecast for this Friday.
A high-pressure dome keeps 27 states under excessive heat alert, with heat index readings reaching dangerous levels across much of the national territory.
“That heat index will be oppressive and dangerous, with temperatures feeling like 114 degrees in New York and Washington D.C., and 113 degrees in Florida,” warned a meteorologist from Univision's La Voz de la Mañana program.
In total, about 187 million people are exposed to extreme heat conditions, a figure that represents more than half of the country's population.
Florida has a unique situation compared to the rest of the nation: the state is not under any official heat alert because the storms forecasted for the holiday help to slightly moderate the temperatures.
However, that does not mean that the outlook is reassuring for those planning to go out to celebrate.
The heat index in the southern state will reach 113°F (45°C), with maximum temperatures ranging from 93°F to 95°F in Miami-Dade and Broward, and a 40% to 60% chance of isolated storms during the afternoon of the holiday.
Those rains could reduce the visibility of the fireworks, although no cancellations of the scheduled events are anticipated.
Additionally, there is a 40% chance that a disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico will organize into a cyclone and impact northern and central Florida, adding another variable of uncertainty to the weekend.
Despite the heat, the celebrations for the 250th anniversary will continue all across the country.
According to a report by Telemundo, the America 250 events and the presidential initiative Freedom 250 will bring together thousands of people in California, Florida, New York, and Washington D.C., despite the extreme forecast.
In Miami, the main celebration will take place at Tropical Park between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., featuring live music, food, family activities, and fireworks. There will also be festivities at Bayfront Park and Miami Beach.
For those who cannot tolerate the heat outdoors, Miami-Dade has activated 22 free cooling centers —11 in city parks and 11 in county libraries— available until October 31.
On a national scale, the heat wave threatens to break historical records: Washington D.C. could surpass 39°C on July 4th, exceeding the record set on the same day in 1919, while New York might equal its historical record of 38°C established in 1966.
Extreme heat has also put pressure on the country's infrastructure: the Department of Energy declared an energy emergency due to the overload on the power grid, and more than 20 Amtrak trains have already been canceled in the Northeast, where a frontal system threatens flight delays in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia during the afternoon this Friday.
Meteorologists indicate that relief will arrive starting Sunday, when the heat dome will begin to weaken.
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