The pollen bomb hits again! Met Office issues ‘very high’ pollen alert that will last all week… and social media is already full of patients developing symptoms OVERNIGHT

Get your tissues ready for watery eyes and runny noses this week, as rising pollen levels could spell misery for millions of hay fever sufferers.

The Met Office forecast predicts ‘very high’ pollen counts will spread across Britain as hay fever sufferers brace for a ‘pollen bomb’.

This week, a ‘very high’ pollen count is forecast to hit most of Britain on Thursday, with only Scotland getting away with ‘high’ levels and ‘medium’ levels in the highlands.

Pollen levels will be ‘very high’ across the south of England and Wales throughout the week, while high pollen levels will move northwards throughout the week.

However, hay fever sufferers will get a bit of a break this weekend as pollen levels are set to drop in some parts of the UK on Saturday. But the misery will continue for most of the Midlands and east coast of England.

Hay fever sufferers’ worst nightmare occurs when high pollen counts are accompanied by wet weather followed by sunshine, especially in a polluted area, as this can create a ‘pollen bomb’.

Hay fever sufferers have come to X to write about their battle against the dreaded ‘pollen bomb’.

Social media user @cra46159 wrote: ‘Apparently we’re heading for an impending ‘arctic explosion’ and ‘pollen bomb’, so get your coats and tissues ready. I love our summers.”

Another social media user @lynseyshev wrote: ‘The sun finally comes out, causing a pollen bomb and an asthma attack for me… you can’t have everything.’

@ugochio11 also wrote on X: “With all due respect, I want the pollen bomb to go away. You’re not wanted here.’

Meanwhile, scores of patients say they have been hit by symptoms at night, when pollen levels usually drop.

“I’ve been up twice all night, wracked with hay fever,” wrote @chrisdaglorias.

The British hay fever season is split into three sections.

Tree pollen arrives first in late March, followed by grass which lasts from mid-May to July and then weed pollen which lasts until September.

Rising temperatures, combined with the longer growth cycle of birch pollen, have combined to create the perfect storm.

Pollen counts are calculated using the number of particles per cubic metre, the Met Office explains.

Hay fever symptoms usually appear when the pollen count is above 50.

For pollen counts to be considered ‘high’, grass pollen must contain between 50 and 150 pollen grains per cubic meter, while birch pollen must measure between 81 and 200.

Although this is how a ‘high’ value is defined, the Met Office emphasizes that each person will have a different tolerance for different pollen types and counts.

Hay fever affects almost 10 million people in England. This equates to almost one in four adults and one in 10 children – and the forecaster says this number is rising.

Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen, a fine powder that comes from plants.

Symptoms include coughing and sneezing; a runny or stuffy nose; itchy, red or watery eyes; an itchy throat, nose, mouth or ears; headaches and fatigue, according to the NHS.

Histamine is the chemical that causes an allergic reaction.

Typically, histamine is released when the body detects something harmful, such as an infection. It causes blood vessels to expand and the skin to swell to protect the body.

But in people with allergies, the body considers harmless things, such as pollen, dust or animal hair, as a threat and produces histamine.

This causes the well-known allergy symptoms of itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing and rash.

Hay fever can make the summer months miserable.

But taking antihistamine tablets stops a flare-up by blocking the action of histamines.

Keeping windows closed, vacuuming regularly, and wearing sunglasses can also minimize your exposure to pollen.