Overview
- Met Office forecasts kept pollen at the top “very high” red level on Wednesday across England and Wales, with parts of Scotland on high, in a midweek peak expected to linger for days.
- Forecasters link the spike to tree pollen, led by birch and ash with plane in some areas, after a swift shift to sunny, dry weather and temperatures in the low to mid‑20s Celsius following Storm Dave.
- Elevated levels are set to persist through the weekend, easing in northern and western regions later in the week but staying worst in London and the South East into Sunday.
- NHS and Allergy UK urge people to keep windows and doors shut, avoid drying clothes outside, shower and change after being outdoors, use non‑drowsy antihistamines, and consider HEPA filters and wraparound sunglasses.
- Roughly 10–13 million people in the UK live with hay fever, and many will face sneezing, itchy eyes, and congestion as pollen also clings to clothes and pet fur, which can carry allergens into the home.