UK weather warning: ‘Pollen bomb’ to hit UK this weekend as advice issued
Britain is set for warm weather over the weekend
Met Office
Hay fever sufferers across Britain will be hit by a surge in pollen levels, according to the Met Office.
The spike has been dubbed a “pollen bomb” by reports, a term not used officially by allergists, but frequently used informally to refer to a pollen count spike.
Britons could be laced with common symptoms of hay fever such as sneezing, itchy eyes, a runny nose and a headache, all conditions caused by the body producing allergic antibodies when it comes into contact with pollen.
Speaking to GB News, Dr Ellie Cannon has offered tips on how people can avoid having to spend the warm weekend feeling under the weather, urging them to “start now” with forms of medication.
She told Eamonn Holmes and Isabel Webster: “We are going to have this ‘pollen bomb’, which means all the tree and grass pollen with this lovely weather is going at the same time.
“People really need to be ready with their medication and it may be a good idea to start now.
“Unfortunately, staying inside is a way to protect yourself from hay fever and other allergens like dust and house mites.
“Keeping windows and doors shut, as well as cleaning and purifying the air.”
A 'pollen bomb' is expected this weekend
GB News / Pexels
Pollen levels are set to reach “very high” levels in some parts of the country on Friday and Sunday, according to the Met Office, with London and South East England, Wales, West Midlands and South West England set to be the most affected regions.
The Met Office say that while avoiding exposure to pollen is “almost impossible”, using antihistamines, corticosteroids, eye drops and over-the-counter treatments can reduce its impact.
They urge anyone experiencing more severe symptoms to speak to their GP.
Temperatures are set to expected to rise to as high as 30C over the weekend, with southern parts of England being the warmest.
Despite the warm weather, large parts of England and Wales have been issued with a thunderstorm warning but the UK’s national weather service.
The warning was issued on Thursday ahead of what is expected to be the warmest weekend of the year.
Oli Clayden, from the Met Office, confirmed that there could be some travel disruption over the weekend.
He said: “After a prolonged dry spell there is a chance of surface water flooding.
“There could be some surface water issues that could cause travel disruptions as well as the high gusts across parts of the country.”
It is expected that some parts of the UK could see 30-40mm of rain in an hour during parts of Saturday, with hail also expected to hit the UK on Saturday.