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)

“Diver in Magic Kingdom”. Green Lake (Grüner See) is located Tragöss Austria. In spring snowmelt raises the lake level about 10 meters. This phenomenon, which lasts only a few weeks covering the hiking trails, meadows, trees. The result is magical to watch diving landscapes. Photo location: Grüner See at Tragöss, Austria. (Photo and caption by Marc Henauer/National Geographic Photo Contest)

AP photographer Anja Niedringhaus laughs as she attends a swimming event at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, August 21, 2004. Niedringhaus, a veteran Associated Press photographer who had covered wars around the world was shot dead and another reporter was wounded on April 4, 2014 when an Afghan policeman opened fire on them in eastern Afghanistan, the news agency said. (Photo by Reuters/Staff)

Indian artists dress up as the Hindu deity “Hanuman” – the monkey God in Hindu mythology – to mark the Rama Navami festival in Bangalore on March 25, 2018. Rama Navami is a spring Hindu festival that celebrates the birthday of the deity Rama. He is particularly important to the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism, as the seventh avatar of Vishnu. (Photo by Manjunath Kiran/AFP Photo)

Children jump over a puddle of water as they play during a rainstorm on a street in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, September 18, 2021. (Photo by Emilio Morenatti/AP Photo)

Two friends attempt to balance in the icy conditions in Newcastle, England on February 2, 2019. Boozy Brits across the UK took to the streets last night to ensure they got February off to a wet start after “Dry January”. (Photo by Craig Connor/North News and Pictures)

Children hold Taliban flags during a celebration marking the first anniversary of the withdrawal of US-led troops from Afghanistan, in front of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, August 31, 2022. (Photo by Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Photo)

Air France airplane from Air France-KLM Group arriving at Princess Juliana International Airport, Sint Maarten, Dutch Carebbean Island on February 12, 2023, taken from Sunset Beach Bar at Maho Beach, Sint Maarten, known for the beach being very close to the runway. (Photo by Rex Features/Shutterstock)