High pollen count causing discomfort for hay fever sufferers

Have itchy eyes or sneezing been getting the better of you recently?

It could be that you’re allergic to grass pollen and levels will be high on Saturday across the Midlands, central, southern and south-west England, and London.

It affects about 95% of hay fever sufferers and is at its peak from now until July.

Weed pollen will also start to play a part from June until September.

It is estimated that 13 million people in the UK suffer from hay fever – an allergy to different pollens.

The exact dates vary depending on where you live, with towns and cities generally likely to have less than rural areas.

In early spring the main culprit is tree pollen which the Met Office says affects around 25% of sufferers annually.

This year most regions had high or very high levels, which was not helped by the dry, warm and windy weather which creates the ideal conditions for its release.