Overview
- The red alerts start in London and the South East on Sunday, extend across southern England and the Midlands on Monday, cover most of England and Wales on Tuesday, and persist in parts of the North on Wednesday before easing to the Midlands and southern England on Thursday.
- Forecasters link the surge to a warm spell drawing air from Europe, with temperatures set to reach the low 20s Celsius and possibly 23–24C by Wednesday, according to the Met Office’s Greg Dewhurst.
- Birch pollen is forecast to be very high with ash pollen also raised, which aligns with tree pollen peaks in early spring.
- Coverage lists differ on the scope of the alerts this week, with one report naming nine affected areas and another citing eight.
- For the more than 10 million people who have hay fever, the NHS advises shutting windows, showering after time outdoors, and using pollen filters in cars to cut exposure.