Respite ahead from the cold snap

LONDON (Reuters) - The Met Office issued another severe weather warning on Wednesday but said the cold snap will start to ease towards the weekend.

A spokeswoman said temperatures across the country were on the rise, but warned care would still be needed on the roads throughout the day.

"Temperatures will be higher than at the beginning of the week, and the frost tonight not as severe with only minus 1 or 2 Celsius in most parts of the country," she added.

Mercury levels have plunged to as low as minus 10 degrees in some parts of the country this week as a stubborn trough of high pressure keeps away warmer air from the Atlantic.

A spokesman at Heathrow airport said flights were running normally after overnight de-icing operations.

On Tuesday, the Met Office said it was working with the Department for Work and Pensions to help elderly and vulnerable people who are eligible for cold weather payments.

Under government rules, 25 pounds-a-week assistance is triggered each time readings at a weather station fall below zero for seven consecutive days.

A 15 million pound payout expected for people in London who become eligible this year comes on top of 3.7 million payments totalling 93 million pounds already triggered this winter at 48 of the country's 76 weather stations.

(Reporting by Martina Fuchs; Editing by Steve Addison)