Hayfever season has started early as pollen rates have surged across the UK.
Pollen levels in London and the South East of England reached “very high” levels on Sunday and are predicted to continue until Tuesday when they drop a little, according to the Met Office.
Other areas of the country, in the South and Yorkshire and Humber, are also experiencing high levels. By Thursday most parts of the country are forecasted to have “high” levels again.
The allergy warning comes as parts of England have been experiencing warm weather this April.
Saturday marked the hottest day of the year so far with temperatures soaring to 24C. Britons flocked to beaches and parks to soak up the rays before the heatwave is expected to come to an end next week.
The Met Office said that highs of 24C had been recorded in Northolt, north west London, on Saturday afternoon.
According to one expert speaking with the BBC, birch pollen season has started and reached high levels in the first week of April.
Dr Fiona Symon, experimental officer in respiratory sciences at the University of Leicester, told the news outlet:”Birch is the tree pollen that most people are allergic to.”
“The sun’s been out, it’s been warm and we’ve had a breeze to move the pollen around. So it’s been perfect weather for trees for pollinating, but not so much for hay fever sufferers.
“The warm weather has influenced the level of pollen released. We’ve seen high to very high levels of birch pollen right from the start of the pollen release rather than a more gentle build-up.”
“Hornbeam also reached high levels, which could add to the allergic response to birch as both trees belong to the same family and share similar allergens.”
According to the Met Office more than 10 million people in Britain suffer with hay fever.
The forecaster added: Hay fever symptoms can include frequent sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, itchy eyes and an itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears.
“As a sufferer, you may also experience the loss of your sense of smell, facial pain, sweating and headaches – although these symptoms are less common.
“Asthma sufferers may find that their symptoms get worse when suffering from hay fever and may experience a tight chest, shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing.”
