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)

Russian cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov, Expedition 40 flight engineer, attired in a Russian Orlan spacesuit, participates in a session of extravehicular activity (EVA) in support of science and maintenance on the International Space Station on August 18, 2014. During the five-hour, 11-minute spacewalk, Skvortsov and cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev (out of frame) deployed a small science satellite, retrieved and installed experiment packages and inspected components on the exterior of the orbital laboratory. (Photo by NASA)

A lion rests in the Nairobi National Park, Kenya on January 6, 2021. (Photo by Tiksa Negeri/Reuters)

A man bathes in an ice hole in the Neva River St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, February 10, 2021. The temperature in St. Petersburg is –15C ( 5 °F). (Photo by Dmitri Lovetsky/AP Photo)

Japanese Yuuka Hasumi, 17, and Ibuki Ito, 17, also from Japan, who want to become K-pop stars, perform during their street performance in Hongdae area of Seoul, South Korea, March 21, 2019. (Photo by Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

Hisao Mitani walks with an African tortoise, which he named Bon-Chan, on the street on September 16, 2022 in Tokyo, Japan. Bon-chan, the 26-year-old tortoise who is cared for by 69-year-old funeral director Mitani, has become an internet sensation after starring in a viral tiktok video that has gained over seven million views since it was released, making both Mitani and Bon-chan tiktok celebrities. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)

A security guard tries to separate a boy who hugs India's captain Rohit Sharma, right, after invading the field of play during the second one-day international cricket match between India and New Zealand in Raipur, India, Saturday, January 21, 2023. (Photo by Aijaz Rahi/AP Photo)

The snow-capped Etna spews hot lava, near Catania, Sicily island, Italy, 26 November 2023. One of Europe's most active and tallest volcano has erupted again on 25 November 2023. (Photo by Dario Lo Scavo/EPA/EFE)