The results of hay fever are already more and more being felt throughout the UK, with grass pollen now absolutely in focus following the spring launch of many kinds of tree pollen.
The pollen forecast is excessive or very excessive for a lot of areas of England and Wales over the following week, with completely different species of grass now releasing pollen into the air, which is able to proceed to impression the one in 5 individuals who endure from hay fever within the UK.
Talking to the Climate Snap podcast, Met Workplace Relationship Supervisor for Well being and Air High quality Yolanda Clewlow stated: “The grass pollen season often follows fairly a constant sample and there tends to be two peaks, one within the first half of June after which one other one in early July. That’s as a result of we’ve got about 150 completely different species of grass and so they all flower at completely different occasions over spring and summer season, though solely a few of them are allergenic.”
2022 pollen outlook
Though many species of tree have already handed their peak pollen launch section, the overwhelming majority of hay fever victims have an allergy to grass pollen. With ranges excessive or very excessive in lots of southern and central areas of the UK within the coming week, many are questioning if it’s worse than regular this yr, and the reply isn’t as easy as you would possibly assume.
Yolanda stated: “When it comes to the numbers of pollen grains within the air, what we’re seeing isn’t particularly noteworthy in comparison with what we’ve had in earlier years. Nonetheless, the efficiency of those pollen grains might be extra intense this yr, and that comes all the way down to the climate we’ve had in spring.
“A heat and moist Could, coupled with a comparatively heat spring, means there’s an opportunity that the pollen that has developed is especially potent, even when the quantities aren’t dramatically completely different.”
In keeping with Met Workplace provisional statistics, Could 2022 was the fifth warmest on report, with barely above common rainfall for the UK. That, coupled with a heat spring general, has meant good rising situations for some species of grass.
Recommendation
Recommendation on coping with Hayfever is out there as a part of WeatherReady with the Met Workplace. In keeping with Yolanda, the most effective defences is to keep watch over the pollen forecast.
“The most effective defence in opposition to signs is to keep away from the stimulus,” stated Yolanda.
“Avoiding the pollen that you’ve an allergy to can actually assist and the degrees of pollen within the air can fluctuate dramatically via the day. What’s typical is {that a} light breeze will raise the pollen off the crops early within the morning, the nice and cozy air will then carry this up and it’ll be optimum for stepping into our lungs in mid-to-late morning. Curiously, by the very center of the day the pollen will usually be carried up very excessive within the ambiance, which might make the pollen depend a lot decrease close to the bottom. After which you may get that further burst of pollen once more within the night because the air cools and permits the pollen to settle.”
Tremendous pollen? Not a lot…
In current days, the media has been reporting on ‘tremendous pollen’ related to thundery situations. Yolanda says that though the time period has no scientific foundation, there may be ongoing analysis on this space.
She stated: “We have now a couple of phrases pop up within the media like ‘tremendous pollen’, ‘pollen bomb’ and ‘thunder fever’, however these aren’t scientific phrases and never recognised as a meteorological phenomenon. What’s being checked out is one thing referred to as thunderstorm bronchial asthma, which isn’t effectively understood globally, but it surely’s how, in very particular situations, there’s an opportunity that thunder and lightning can enhance the signs of these with hay fever. Whether or not that’s all the way down to airflows or lightning splitting pollen grains open, it’s too early to say, but it surely’s one thing that’s in energetic analysis with our well being companions.”
Hear extra from Yolanda on the Climate Snap podcast with Clare Nasir.
Discover extra pollen recommendation as a part of WeatherReady with the Met Workplace.
