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)

Tiffany Noreuil at the Oregon Humane Society in Portland, Oregon, holds feline Hercules, a 20-pound stray whose girth got him stuck in a pet door while trying to plunder some dog food. (Photo by AP Photo)

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Lara Stone at Mark's Club on October 27, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mark Milan/GC Images)

The images of U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (L) and Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump are seen painted on decorative pumpkins created by artist John Kettman in LaSalle, Illinois, U.S., June 8, 2016. (Photo by Jim Young/Reuters)

A “nail house”, the last building in the area, sits in the middle of a road under construction in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region April 10, 2015. According to local media, the owner of the house didn't reach an agreement with the local authority about compensation of the demolition. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)

A resident uses face shields made from used mineral water containers while working on the streets of Yogyakarta City, Indonesia on April 16, 2020. This face shield aims to prevent contracting from coronavirus while working outside the home. (Photo by Nuryanto/Opn Images/Barcroft Media via Getty Images)

Performance of the actress Asia Argento dedicated to the exhibition of the tattoo artist Marco Manzo at the Vittoriano museum in Rome, Italy on December 11, 2018. (Photo by Barbara Amendola/IPA Press)

Lancaster Gate station displays signage after being rebranded “Ratchet and Clankaster Gate” as the PS5 goes on sale in the UK, on November 19, 2020 in London, England. The first generational upgrade to Sony's line of Playstation consoles since 2013, the launch has seen pre-orders sell out within hours and websites crash as retailers attempt to keep up with demand. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)