After weeks of intense heat and wildfires across Europe with temperatures into the high 30s Celsius each day in central and southern areas, and frequently reaching above 40C (104F), temperatures will gradually start to temper from the north-west through this week.

The jet stream will meander southwards, pushing the plume of heat away to the south and west and bringing conditions much closer to or below normal, with the exception of some parts of Spain, which may hang on to the heat without much relief.

Europe has not been alone in enduring heat over the past week. The US has continued to see an area of high pressure lingering and allowing a plume of hot upper air to sit almost stationary across central and southern parts of the country.

Last week heat alerts stretched all the way from California to New England and covered most central, southern and eastern states, with many areas breaking daily temperature records. Lawton in Oklahoma reached the equivalent of its highest ever recorded temperature, 111F (43.9C).

However, throughout the week a low pressure system in eastern Canada will nudge slightly southward, forcing the upper level heat to be displaced north-westward. Many areas that were affected last week will start to see some relief, while much of the Pacific Northwest will begin to heat up.

As this week progresses the Pacific Northwest will see temperatures building, peaking through the middle of the week with 100F (37.8C) expected widely across western states, all the way up to Washington. The north-western US will be seeing temperatures climb to 7C above the average for the time of year.

Western Canada will also be hit by the heat, with Vancouver, in British Columbia, expected to reach close to its all-time temperature record of 34.4C (93.9F), recorded in 2009. The intense heat will linger in the Pacific Northwest throughout the week but is likely to push eastward once again through the following week, meaning central areas of the US are likely to have only a short respite before the heat returns.