The Met Office has warned a high pollen count is expected across the south west for the next five days. This as high temperatures above the 20C mark are set to continue.
The Met Office pollen forecast said: “The risk is on the rise as more grasses come into flower. Nettle, dock and plantain pollen are also airborne and fungal spores are also increasing." For the next five days, the pollen risk has been ranked as ‘high’.
Hay fever sufferers are advised to be aware of the rocketing pollen count. The pollen count monitoring network combines Met Office weather data with expertise from organisations, such as the National Pollen and Aerobiological Unit, to produce pollen forecasts for five days ahead for the UK.
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Hay fever is commonly caused by grass pollens, but can be triggered by other pollens. The immune system reacts to the pollen in the body to produce histamine and other chemicals which causes hay fever symptoms.
According to the Met Office, more than 10 million people in Britain are prone to hay fever attacks and around two in ten people have this allergy. A person is also more likely to suffer from hay fever if there is a family history of allergies.
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There are around 30 different types of pollen which cause hay fever and a person can be allergic to more than one type. Hay fever symptoms tend to appear when the pollen count, which is a measure of the number of grains of pollen in one cubic metre of air, exceeds 50.
On sunny days, the pollen count is at its highest in the early evening which is commonly when hay fever sufferers feel it the most. The weather affects how much pollen is released and spread around, with humid and windy days seeing pollen spread easily while on rainy days, pollen is cleared from the air fairly quickly.
