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)

J. Schwartz (C) and Marianne Wittelsberger (2nd R) of Consumer Watchdog dress as members of the “Google Track Team” in a hallway of the Dirksen Senate Office Building prior to a hearing on Google September 21, 2011 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Members of Consumer Watchdog attended the antitrust hearing dressed as the “Google Track Team” in white tracksuits emblazoned with Google's motto, “Don't be evil”, wearing “Wi-Spy” glasses and pretending to track unsuspecting people during the event. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Palestinians kids from the West Bank Palestinian village Umm Al Rajaj cross the Meitar checkpoint into Israel on their way to the beach of Tel Aviv for the first time, Israel, 10 August 2016. A group of humanitarian Israeli women called in Arabic “Min Al Baher” (from the sea) voluntarily arranges authorizations and transportation for Palestinians families that live in the West Bank to cross into Israel in order to visit the sea for the first time. (Photo by Abir Sultan/EPA)

Team Canada's Kyra Constantine, left, and Team England's Jessie Knight cross the finish line of the Women's 4 x 400 meters relay during the athletics competition in the Alexander Stadium at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, Sunday, August 7, 2022. England crossed ahead but was later disqualified and Canada took the gold medal. (Photo by Manish Swarup/AP Photo)

The feet of a Filipino penitent is nailed to a wooden cross during Good Friday rituals on April 3, 2015 at Cutud, Pampanga province, northern Philippines. Several Filipino devotees had themselves nailed to crosses Friday to remember Jesus Christ's suffering and death, an annual rite frowned upon by church leaders in this predominantly Roman Catholic country. (Photo by Aaron Favila/AP Photo)

Girl scouts pose for a group photo at the third station of the Way of the Cross reenactment marking Good Friday, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Friday, March 30, 2018. Thousands of Haitians are commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ by reenacting the Way of the Cross, visiting the 14 stations, each marking an event that befell Jesus Christ on his final journey. (Photo by Dieu Nalio Chery/AP Photo)

An installation entitled “Take my lightning but don't steal my thunder” by British artist Alex Chinneck stands in Covent Garden on October 2, 2014 in London, England. The installation is intended to cast the illusion that a 40-foot section of the Covent Garden's 184-year old market building is floating. “Take my lightning but don't steal my thunder” will be on display from 2nd to 24th October 2014. (Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images)

People spray water in the street ahead of “Songkran”, the annual Thai New Year water-throwing festival, in Kowloon City, Hong Kong, China, 09 April 2017. The pouring of water is a key element in the festival as it represents purification and the washing away of one's sins and bad luck for the year. The event also includes a “Miss Songkran” pageant where contestants are clothed in traditional Thai dress, and a winner is crowned. This year's “Songkran” will begin in Thailand on 13 April 2017. (Photo by Alex Hofford/EPA)