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)

Hot air balloons fly over Igualada during an early flight as part of the European Balloon Festival on July 10, 2014 in Igualada, Spain. The early morning flight of over 30 balloons was shorter than expected due to windy weather. This flight is organised as a curtain raiser for the four-day European Balloon Festival. Now is the 18th year of the most important hot air Balloon event in Spain and one of the biggest in Europe. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

An employee of Daikin Industries Ltd works the production line of outdoor air conditioning units at the company's Kusatsu factory in Shiga prefecture, western Japan March 20, 2015. As Japan heads into the season of peak demand for room air-conditioners, Daikin managers have been tasked with figuring out how to boost output by some 20 percent at the 45-year-old Kusatsu plant that six years ago the company had almost given up on as unprofitable. (Photo by Yuya Shino/Reuters)

The Doppler on Wheels (DOW) vehicle scans a supercell thunderstorm during a tornado research mission, May 8, 2017 in Elbert County near Agate, Colorado. Doppler on Wheels (DOW) is a mobile doppler radar mounted on a truck that brings instruments directly into storms, allowing scientists to scan storms and tornadoes and make 3-D maps of wind and debris. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

A man dressed in Christmas garb smokes a hand-rolled cigarette, Thursday, December 24, 2020, in Times Square on Christmas Eve in New York. (Photo by Kathy Willens/AP Photo)

Residents recently returning to their area cleared by government troops react as they ride a tricycle a day after President Rodrigo Duterte declared the liberation of Marawi city in southern Philippines Wednesday, October 18, 2017. Sporadic explosions continue Wednesday as Philippine soldiers fought to gain control of the last pocket of Marawi controlled by Islamic militants. (Photo by Bullit Marquez/AP Photo)

Floating on clear deep water and reflections near the cave entrance. Visitors can either bring their own kayaks or rent boats from the local community to paddle deep inside the cave and marvel at its wonders on March 2015 at Tham Khoun Ex, Laos. Tham Khoun Xe, commonly known as the Xe Bang Fai River Cave, in Laos, has over 15km of passages filled with awe-inspiring views and wide expanses of water. Photographer, John Spies, 59, captured scenes from the entrances of the huge underground river passages, intricate cave formations and views from a passage high above the water. The cave is formed by the Xe Bang Fai river, a major tributary of the Mekong and in the dry season can be traversed using inflatable kayaks. (Photo by John Spies/Barcroft Media/ABACAPress)

Kim Kardashian goes shopping for gummy bears in sheer Gucci bra on October 9, 2017. She paired the risqué outfit with a waist-fitted midi length pencil skirt and clear lucite wedges from Kanye West’s fashion line. (Photo by Splash News and Pictures)