Britain weather: Heatwave could hit next week, but there’s a big catch for hayfever sufferers thanks to ‘pollen bomb’

High pollen levels are striking in parts of Britain, bringing new misery for hay fever sufferers. Forecasts suggest there could be a heat wave next week.

The Met Office has warned that pollen counts will be very high in England over the next five days, spreading to Wales and Northern Ireland from Saturday.

By Monday, all but the northernmost parts of Scotland will be affected.

Image:
Photo: Met Office

Asthma + Lung UK is urging people with respiratory conditions to take precautions over the coming week.

The charity’s research shows that pollen is a trigger for 47% of people with asthma, and for 27% of those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (also known as COPD).

This can cause symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath to arise.

Erika Radford, the organisation’s head of health advice, told Sky News: “When pollen particles are inhaled they can cause inflammation in the airways and travel into the lungs, making it harder for people with lung conditions to breathe. This can be terrifying. .”

Asthma patients are urged to use their preventer inhaler every day as prescribed, and to always have a rescue inhaler on hand, even when at home.

Brits who suffer from hay fever can take antihistamines, ask their GP to prescribe a steroid nasal spray and avoid going outside as much as possible on days with high pollen levels.

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Other top tips for beating the pollen include:

• Don’t hang your laundry outside

• Shower after being outside

• Keep windows and doors closed

• Regular vacuuming and wiping of surfaces

• Taking antihistamines four weeks before symptoms start.

Eating apples and red onions is also touted as a way to lower histamine levels.

Photo: Met Office
Image:
Photo: Met Office

Heat wave on the horizon

Meanwhile, the Met Office is predicting higher temperatures as we head into next week – with 30C (86F) possible in isolated places.

While Friday and Saturday look less quiet, nice conditions will return on Sunday and temperatures in the days that follow could be around 20 degrees for many.

Check the five-day weather forecast where you are

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Lead forecaster Neil Armstrong said: ‘Temperatures are likely to approach those required for heatwave conditions in some central and southern areas.

“Heatwave conditions should remain in place for three consecutive days, and it is possible that some parts of Britain could reach heatwave thresholds by the middle of next week.”

He expects “the best conditions and highest temperatures yet this year,” but lower nighttime temperatures will provide some respite for those struggling with the heat.

Sky meteorologist Steff Gaulter added: ‘We have a plume of hot, moist air moving up from the south that will start to affect us from Sunday.

“This will bring quite a bit of cloud in some places, but in the sunniest spots we are likely to see temperatures of 27 degrees on Sunday, 28 degrees on Monday and 29 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday. This could be a bit of a shock for some people after the rather lackluster start to the summer we’ve had so far!

“However, we won’t all see these temperatures and there will be some rain in western parts. The highest temperatures look most likely in central and eastern England.

“It looks like we’ll see a thunderstorm on Wednesday, but weather-wise this is still a long way off so we’ll have to keep you updated on that.”

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