The northeastern United States sweltered this week in a scorching summer heat wave, complete with stagnant, sticky air and no winds for relief, forecasters said. Even in a summer already filled with stretches of very hot weather, this week will be stubbornly brutal, with no relief in sight until the weekend brings thunderstorms to the region, they said. "Plain and simple, this week may feel the worst of any week for this summer in the Northeast," said Accuweather.com meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. (Reuters)

A newborn baby giraffe shows its tongue at the Planckendael zoo in Mechelen, 25 kilometers North of Brussels, Tuesday, February 18, 2014. The calf was born on Valentines day, February 14, and has a heart shaped spot on the hip. (Photo by Yves Logghe/AP Photo)

Cosplay fans attend the Animation Comic Games (ACG) Culture Festival in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 28, 2017. The festival kicked off on Saturday, attracting lots of cosplay fans. (Photo by Liu Xiao/Xinhua)

Spectators dressed as leprechauns attend St Patrick's Day parade in Dublin on March 17, 2014. (Photo by Peter Muhly/AFP Photo)

English model Katie Price pictured going topless while on holiday with boyfriend Kris Boyson at Ammatara Pura Pool Villas resort in Thailand on July 13, 2018. The happy couple looked relaxed in matching yellow Bikini and shorts as they frolicked with each other by the pool as they enjoyed their first holiday together at exclusive resort in Thailand. (Photo by Backgrid UK)

(L-R) Jesse Montana , Kyle Chan, James Kennedy and Anthony F. attend Kyle Chan's “Star Wars vs. s*xy Aliens” Birthday Party at Sofitel Hotel on February 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/Getty Images)

Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss attend the Burberry Prorsum show during London Fashion Week Spring Summer 2015 on September 15, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

A boy uses a mobile phone as he sits inside his father's snacks shop along a road in Kolkata, India, February 22, 2016. (Photo by Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters)