3 days ago
'Pollen bomb' warning as levels soar across England and Wales: Map reveals the areas where hay fever sufferers will be worst hit - so, is your hometown at risk?
It's a condition that affects roughly one in four people in Britain.
And if you suffer from hay fever, you might want to stock up on anti-histamines.
A 'pollen bomb' is set to hit the UK today, the Met Office has revealed.
'Have you been sneezing today?' the national weather and climate service asked on X.
'Pollen levels are currently very high across most of England and Wales.'
Except for North East England, every region of England and Wales has 'very high' levels today - with the East of England, and London & South East England continuing to suffer through Thursday.
Thankfully, the pollen bomb should subside by the weekend - although it's bad news if you were planning to hit the park to sunbathe.
'Levels dipping tomorrow as rain arrives,' the Met Office added.
@lillian3600
never been hit by hay fever but Holy Ghost I couldn't breathe
♬ growth - Gede Yudis
The 'pollen count' literally predicts the amount of pollen grains per cubic metre of air.
The Met Office predicts the upcoming pollen count by combining measurements of pollen in the air with predicted weather patterns to work out how the pollen will spread.
What is considered a high pollen count varies depending on the type of plant.
For grass pollen, a reading of between 50 and 150 grains of grass pollen per cubic metre is considered high.
Manwhile, a reading between 81 and 200 is considered high for birch pollen.
Across the UK, the Met Office deisgnates each region one of five symbols, ranging from '-' (no significant pollen) to 'VH' (very high).
On today's map, South West England, London & South East England, East of England, East Midlands, West Midlands, Wales, North West England, and Yorkshire & Humber have all been designated as 'very high'.
North East England, Dumfries, Galloway, Lothian & Borders, Central, Tayside & Fife, Strathclyde, and Northern Ireland will experience 'high' levels.
Meanwhile, people in Grampian will only have 'medium' levels, while those living in Highlands & Eilean Siar, and Orkney & Shetland can relax, with 'low' levels forecast.
The news will come as no surprise to many Londoners, who have complained of high pollen levels for weeks.
On social media, residents have complained of tight chests, red eyes, and brain fog as they walked through the parks.
In a video posted to TikTok, one user said: 'I felt like I had literal shards of pollen going into my eyes.
'Please tell me I'm not the only one because that was scary and I need to know how to prepare for the rest of summer if it's going to be like this.'
Conditions have been so bad that even those who normally don't suffer from hay fever say they have been affected.
One commenter wrote: 'I thought it was just me. I've never had an issue with hay fever until this weekend.'
Piers Morgan was one of those affected by the pollen bomb, tweeting: 'Anyone else got shocking hay fever in London today?
'Even trusty Fexofenadine barely touching the wheezing, sneezy, fog-brained sides..'
Thankfully, the pollen levels across much of the country will subside within a matter of days.
The Met Office's forecast shows that by Saturday, most of England will have 'medium' or 'high' levels, while Scots will be able to rest easy, with 'low' levels across the country.
