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)

Jose Zamora, 8, has a dove rubbed over his body during the Afro-Cuban religion Santeria ceremony amid concerns about the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Havana, Cuba, March 28, 2020. (Photo by Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters)

Miranda state beauty pageant contestant Luiseth Materan, wearing a protective face mask issued by the Miss Venezuela beauty pageant, arrives to the Venevision television station to prepare for a meeting with judges, in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, September 18, 2020. Quarantine rules and social distancing has forced the contestants to train at home and online with limited access to the venue itself where strict measures are in place. The pageant is due to take place on Sept. 24. (Photo by Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo)

A girl wearing a face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus walks past a display of garments at a market in Bengaluru, India, Saturday, January 9, 2021. India will kick off the coronavirus vaccination drive on Jan. 16 to stem the pandemic in the world's second-most populous country. A Health Ministry statement says that priority will be given to the healthcare workers and the frontline workers, estimated around 30 million. (Photo by Aijaz Rahi/AP Photo)

On February 16, 2025, Finna Indriani, a 27-year-old female jockey, showcased her skills in a specialized “sport-action” performance during the “Roda Gila” entertainment event at a traditional night market in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. (Photo by Sutanta Aditya/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Shane Baker of Minnesota poses for a photo with adult film actress Rachel Starr at the Pornhub booth at the 2017 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on January 18, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Commuters by with the buildings of the banking district in background in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, February 6, 2020. (Photo by Michael Probst/AP Photo)

Drinkers celebrated on the last Friday before Christmas in York, United Kingdom on December 18, 2020. Black Eye Friday, affectionately named for its tendency to prompt drink-fuelled punch ups as the Christmas cheer spills over, has been dampened this year by the global coronavirus pandemic shutting bars and banning socialising. (Photo by Nb press ltd)