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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Hannah Devlin Science correspondent

Hay fever may get worse due to climate change, says Met Office

Woman blowing her nose
One in four adults in the UK are affected by hay fever and the number has been increasing sharply, according to Allergy UK. Photograph: razyph/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Very high pollen levels and hot weather are conspiring to bring discomfort to hay fever sufferers across the country, with the Met Office saying climate change could make pollen seasons longer and more extreme.

Weekly visitors to the site’s hay fever advice pages have tripled in the past five weeks, according to NHS England, with 27,834 visits in 24 hours on Sunday – one every three seconds. On Friday, the Met Office put 12 areas of the UK, covering England, Wales and most of Scotland, on red alert for “very high” pollen levels.

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