‘Pollen bomb’ set to cause hay fever misery for millions as temperatures soar across UK
Hay fever sufferers will face a tough week as a nationwide ‘pollen bomb’ is expected across the UK due to this summer’s changeable weather conditions.
The Met Office has warned that pollen levels will rise next week after the grass and weed seasons got off to an earlier and stronger start this year due to warm weather over the second May bank holiday weekend.
Hay fever is an allergic reaction to fine dust called pollen produced by plants that usually occurs when it comes into contact with your mouth, nose, eyes and throat.
Symptoms include sneezing and coughing, runny or stuffy nose, itchy and red eyes, and can cause headaches and fatigue.
Visits to the NHS hay fever advice page have more than doubled in the last few days as millions of people struggle with cold-like symptoms despite high temperatures.
The forecaster warned that grass pollen will dominate and maintain high levels across England and Wales, while areas such as Yorkshire, the Midlands and the north-west are likely to see very high levels.
However, with the highest pollen levels expected in southern and eastern England, the Met Office warned that high pollen levels in London and the south-east will remain high on Monday and throughout the week.
Wales also saw a steady increase over the weekend; only northern Scotland was spared the worst; Pollen levels were low in Orkney and the Shetland Islands.
While the forecaster said there was no data to support the claim that pollen was ‘worse’ this year, it could feel more severe for individuals due to the combination of high pollen counts and exposure to more than one type of pollen.
Alastair Culham, professor of botany at the University of Reading, said: “The combination of quite windy and dry weather will release a lot of pollen into the air this week and in the coming weeks.
“We’ve seen a pretty mixed year so far, with a very hot, dry spring that brought pollen early, followed by a series of wet weather that allowed grass to grow exceptionally well.
“Now the weather is warm and dry, the grass is starting to bloom, and the pollen level in the grass is extraordinarily high.”
Recent warm conditions with light winds are ideal for pollen to be released and carried in the air; Lack of precipitation means pollen is not washed away. The sunshine in recent weeks has provided ideal growing conditions for grass and weeds.
According to Allergy UK, one in four adults and one in eight children suffer from allergic rhinitis, the medical term for hay fever, and research shows the number of these sufferers is increasing every year.
A study published by the Lancet Countdown in Europe 2026 found that hay fever sufferers are now enduring symptoms up to two weeks longer than they would have in the 1990s due to climate change.
The new report, published in the journal The Lancet Public Health, states that climate change is changing the flowering season of plants that secrete allergenic pollen.
They examined changes in the timing and intensity of birch, alder and olive pollen season.
The researchers found that an earlier season start of one to two weeks was detected on all allergenic trees between 2015 and 2024, compared to 1991-2000.
“Climate change has extended the pollen season by one to two weeks, increasing the amount of time people with allergic rhinitis are exposed to pollen,” the authors said.
