What led to the evacuation of the July Fourth rally on the National Mall?

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The evacuation was ordered because of an approaching thunderstorm

People attending the July Fourth rally on Washington’s National Mall were ordered to evacuate several hours before President Donald Trump’s address because an approaching thunderstorm threatened the event. The evacuation order came despite tens of thousands of attendees braving a suffocating heat wave, with the specific trigger being the incoming storm rather than the heat alone.
Evacuation order came hours before Trump’s speech
The evacuation was initiated several hours ahead of Trump’s scheduled address. The timing was linked directly to the weather outlook for the National Mall event rather than the broader heat conditions in the capital.
The immediate trigger was an approaching thunderstorm
The stated reason for the evacuation was an approaching thunderstorm. Even as many attendees streamed toward exits, the disruption centred on the storm threat.
Crowd conditions included extreme heat, but it was not the stated trigger
Tens of thousands attended during a suffocating heat wave, with temperatures in Washington reaching 101F (38C) at one point. However, the evacuation itself was tied to the incoming thunderstorm, while the heat wave remained the overall setting for the event.
Authorities did not immediately say when the site would reopen
As some attendees left while others refused, the situation turned chaotic, and security struggled to control holdouts. It was also not clear when the site would reopen, following the evacuation order.

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What led to the evacuation of the July Fourth rally on the National Mall?

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