Heavy snow and freezing rain are expected to hit parts of England and Wales this weekend, with the Met Office warning there could be considerable disruption in some areas.

The new, more severe warnings cover northern England, the Midlands and much of Wales, and are in place from Saturday evening and throughout Sunday.

Temperatures were forecast as low as -10C overnight in rural Scotland and the bitter conditions created by an Arctic wind are expected to continue into next week.

The wintry conditions could result in power cuts, stranded vehicles on roads, delayed or cancelled rail and air travel and some rural communities being cut off in the coming days, the Met Office warned.

The Met Office’s weather alerts include:

• An amber warning for snow and freezing rain covering most of Wales and central England, including the Midlands and the north-west cities of Liverpool and Manchester, from 18:00 on Saturday to noon on Sunday

• A warning for snow covering most of northern England including Leeds, Sheffield and the Lake District from 21:00 on Saturday to midnight on Sunday.

BBC Weather forecasts that 20-40cm (7.8-15.7in) of snow could fall across northern England and southern Scotland from late Saturday into Monday.

Wales and northern and central England are expected to see the most sustained period of snow and freezing rain, with 3-7cm of snow likely and around 15-30cm on higher ground.

Later on Sunday, temperatures are expected to be milder in parts of the country, reaching 13C in London in contrast to Aberdeen where it could be just 2C.

People are being urged to check in on vulnerable people during the wintry conditions.

The UK Health Security Agency issues alerts when temperatures are likely to affect people’s wellbeing, in particular those who are elderly or have health conditions.

NHS chiefs warn the number of people with flu in hospital in England rose sharply over Christmas.

The latest data shows there were 5,000 patients in hospital with the virus at the end of last week – almost 3.5 times higher than the same week in 2023.

Age UK’s director Caroline Abrahams said the cold weather would bring the government’s decision to limit winter fuel payments “into sharp relief”, and added the charity had already been contacted by people “worrying about what to do”.

She urged older people “to do everything they can to stay warm” including risking spending more on their heating. Ms Abrahams added energy companies had “an obligation to help” those struggling and there may be support from local councils too.

When asked about the cold weather, Health Secretary Wes Streeting pointed out Chancellor Rachel Reeves had retained the winter fuel allowance for the “poorest pensioners” – those in receipt of pension credit. The cut aims to save £1.5bn a year.

The Department for Work and Pensions said some postcodes would receive cold weather payments, which entitles some households in postcodes with sustained temperatures below 0C to a £25 payment.

This included some postcodes in Eskdalemuir in Dumfries and Galloway, Redesdale in Northumberland, and Shap in Cumbria.