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)

NASA space shuttle Atlantis in Earth orbit is seen during a Rendezvous Pitch Maneuver, or back flip to enable space station crew members to take high resolution digital pictures of the shuttle's heat shield before docking for the last time with the International Space Station July 10, 2011 in space. Atlantis has embarked on a 12-day mission to the International Space Station where it will deliver the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module packed with supplies and spare parts. This will be the final launch of the space shuttle program, which began on April 12, 1981 with the launch of Colombia. (Photo by NASA via Getty Images)

A child looks up to his partner as she stands above the crowd with the support of an elaborate rig of hidden metal rods, during the Bun Festival parade at Cheung Chau island in Hong Kong on May 22, 2018. Thousands of local residents and tourists flocked to an outlying island in Hong Kong to celebrate a local bun festival on Tuesday despite the recording-breaking heat. (Photo by Bobby Yip/Reuters)

A competitor walks on tightrope during a performance in Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China, May 7, 2016. (Photo by Reuters/China Daily)

A keeper stands next to llamas during the Annual Stocktake at ZSL London Zoo in London, Britain February 7, 2018. (Photo by Tom Jacobs/Reuters)

An airplane passes the moon as it makes its approach to Philadelphia International Airport, Sunday, September 7, 2014, in Philadelphia. (Photo by Matt Rourke/AP Photo)

The Yakutat Glacier is seen during a flight over southeastern Alaska near the town of Yakutat, October 7, 2014. (Photo by Bob Strong/Reuters)

A walruses at Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg, Germany on July, 7, 2015. (Photo by Werner Struss/Startraks action)