Snow storms were expected to hit swathes of central and northern England on Thursday after the coldest March temperature in more than a decade was recorded overnight.The Met Office has issued two amber warnings for "strong winds bringing blizzard conditions" and up to 16in (40cm) of snow for an area stretching from Stoke-on-Trent to Durham, and North Wales as an Arctic blast continues to sweep the UK. "Significant disruption" to transport including flights, power lines and phone network coverage is likely in the regions covered by the warnings.