Severe thunderstorm threat for July 4th - but Macy's says NYC's iconic fireworks display WILL go on

Thunderstorms across the country could wipeout the plans of sixty million people  attempting to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday. 

Macy's 47th annual Fourth of July fireworks show is still on and will light up New York City beginning at 9:25 pm, with 60,000 shells launched from five stations on the East River.

But the threat of severe weather has already caused several New Jersey communities to postpone or cancel their Independence Day celebrations.

Nonetheless, Will Coss, executive producer of Macy's 4th of July Fireworks, said this year's Macy's Fireworks celebration will be 'nothing short of showstopping.'

Forecasters are predicting a series of weather disturbances, including storms, wildfires and heat to move across the country. The storms could set off harmful wind gusts of sixty mph or greater, and potential for large hail. 

A short, intense rain shower passes over the midtown Manhattan skyline, Hudson Yards and the Empire State Building as the sun sets in New York City 

People take shelter from the rain on the day of the 2023 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island in New York City, U.S., on July 4

Thunderstorms across the country could wipeout the plans of sixty million people attempting to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday

'Millions of spectators come together every year to witness the spectacular performance along the East River and we are ready to deliver a high-flying, jaw-dropping fireworks display that will fill the night sky with color, light, shapes, and thunderous sound,' Cross added. 

'Paired with a score featuring American classics, this year's celebration will honor trailblazers that have forged our past, present, and future,' he said. 

Cities across the northeast are under threat of severe thunderstorm warnings, while the West faces increased wildfire danger and the Southeast is expected to suffer from severe heat. 

Massive thunderstorms with a risk of reaching severe levels extends across much of the South into the mid-Atlantic states, extending as north as Philadelphia.

The greatest risk stretched from the eastern Rockies through the Central Plains and into the upper Midwest and Upper Mississippi Valley. 

But officials have said heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and severe weather can call off firework shows. 

Major airports in places such as Atlanta, Denver, Minneapolis and Washington, D.C., are expected to be impacted. 

Thunderstorms extending into New York, Dallas and Chicago, can lead to flight delays for travelers across the country.

Heat Advisories have been extended across the majority of Florida Tuesday, stretching form Jacksonville to Miami. 

Cities across the northeast are under threat of severe thunderstorm warning, while the West faces increased wildfire danger and the Southeast is expected to suffer from severe heat

NYPD officer Eric Capowski stands in pouring rain on the playing field at Yankees Stadium, during a rain delay before a game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, July 4, in New York

A view of the Empire State Building during New York City's 46th annual Macy's 4th of July fireworks on July 04, 2022

The 46th annual Macy's 4th of July Fireworks over the East River July 4, 2022 

Fourth of July celebration as seen from the 91st floor of the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt observation experience 

High temperatures will reach nearly one hundred degrees with extremely high humidity levels. 

Heat index readings around east central Florida, are expected to even surpass 110 degrees.

Out West, heat is also the primary concern. 

Excessive Heat Warnings are in effect in various parts of the Southwest as  temperatures reach a blazing 110 degrees in Phoenix and Tucson.

Macy's annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration are still on and will begin at 9:25 p.m. sharp, after performances from stars like Ashanti, LL Cool J and Bebe Rexha. 

The event is the biggest Independence Day celebration in New York City. 

More than 60,000 shells will illuminate the New York City skyline in a dazzling display over the East River for this year's 'pyrotechnic salute to America.' 

Officials say heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and severe weather will call off firework shows. Thunderstorms have cancelled fireworks in the past.

'Thunderstorms, we do try to avoid at all costs. If there's a chance of rain or a lot of rain, we usually cover up these shells with plastic before we shoot,' explained Pyrotechnic for Santore's World Famous Fireworks, Peter Decuyper to News 10. 

The threat of severe weather Monday caused several New Jersey communities to postpone or cancel their Independence Day celebrations, according to Patch news. 

The majority of NJ is also under an elevated chance for severe weather, with hail and winds over sixty mph possible. 

In Los Angeles, several July 4th firework shows have been canceled due to newly adopted environmental rules restricting the use of explosives above bodies of water. 

The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board released a report in May on a new protective fireworks display permit requiring firework celebrations to adopt practices that reduce waste, pollutions,and debris that could fall into bodies of water, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Officials reportedly 'reached out to known fireworks displays over coastal waters in Los Angeles and Ventura counties to explain the permit requirements and offer assistance with permit applications.'