UK Arctic blast will see temperatures plunge as low as -7C in cold snap Met Office said current mild weather will be replaced with a cold snap Tonight temperatures could plunge to -7C in parts of Scottish HighlandsÂ Forecasters warned US snowstorms could trigger strong winds and rain Jet stream with winds of 200mph will allow freezing air to sweep across UK An Arctic blast is expected to batter Britain over the next few days with temperatures plunging to -7C in some areas. Forecasters have also warned that the snowstorms in the US could trigger strong winds and heavy rain across much of the country. They blamed a 'meandering' jet stream with winds of 200mph which will allow freezing air from the Arctic to sweep across the UK. A foggy morning along the River Nene embankment in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. Temperatures are expected to drop to below -7C over the next few days The Met Office said there seems to be a distinct downward trend over the next few days as the current mild weather will be replaced with a cold snap. This will start tonight with temperatures dipping to 2C in populated areas in the North West and -7C in the Scottish Highlands. Parts of the north including Cumbria could see temperatures plunge to -4C with sleet and snow on some high ground. Met Office forecaster Nicola Willis said: 'Tonight will be much colder than tomorrow.' Forecasters have also warned that the snowstorms in the US, pictured is West Seneca in New York, could trigger strong winds and heavy rain across much of the country It has been very mild for this time of year over the past few days, so the sudden dip in temperature will seem like a shock. But forecasters ruled out the US freeze moving to the UK, saying the cold, snowy weather will stay on the western side of the Atlantic. Met Office forecaster Helen Chivers said: 'The jet stream will weaken as it moves into the Atlantic. When systems reach our shores, they will start to weaken due to high pressure over Russia. Thick fog descended on the roads in Peterborough at rush hour earlier this evening. Forecasters said the temperature will be turning colder over the weekend with some frost and fog developing Cold air in the US was one of the factors in stronger jet last winter, but there were others. There's no sign of what happened last winter being repeated this winter.'Â Heavy rain and strong winds are expected to spread gradually across the southwest tomorrow, although the north and east will remain mostly dry until the evening. Alexi Venerus from Meteogroup said the weather looked 'unsettled' with showery outbreaks expected.Â Southern parts of the UK will initially escape the cold blast with day-time temperatures of around 14C predicted on Friday and Saturday but then the mercury will take a dip. Weather forecasters also warned that next week's cold spell could herald a snowy and cold winter Leon Brown, from The Weather Channel UK, said the whole of Britain will start to feel much colder by the beginning of next week. He said: 'It is feeling quite cold on Sunday. In the rain over the Southeast temperatures will be pulled down to only 5C in the afternoon after a mild start early in the day. It still looks like a frosty and icy start to Monday still across Wales and southern Britain with temperatures as low as -2C or -3C. A colder feel to the weather next week, and there will be more frosts, especially over the north. On Wednesday morning Scotland may see dawn temperatures as low as -7C. Weather forecasters also warned that next week's cold spell could herald a snowy and cold winter. Over the weekend the temperature looks to be turning colder with some frost and fog developing.