Met Office pollen bomb alert as hay fever suffers warned of 'very high' levels

Hay fever sufferers have been warned by the to expect 'very high' pollen levels over the next few days.

With spring now well underway and nature once again in bloom, many will be taking more time to enjoy the great outdoors. But for the estimated 13 million people living with in the UK, this time of year can also be a very uncomfortable one. That's because the increased amounts of pollen in the air can trigger a range of symptoms, including a a runny nose, , watery eyes and a wheezing cough. It's tree pollen season at the moment, meaning that if you've been experiencing these side effects of late, it's likely you are allergic to this type of pollen.

According to the , multiple parts of the UK are likely to see a raised pollen count this week, reports .

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On Monday, birch and ash pollen levels will 'very high' in London & the southeast, East Anglia and the East Midlands. They will also be 'high' in the West Midlands.

'Moderate' pollen levels are forecast in the southwest, Wales, Northern Ireland the northwest, Yorkshire and the northeast, while across they will be low.

Pollen levels will drop slightly to 'high' on Tuesday across much of the south, before rising again to 'very high' by Thursday.

These are also expected to increase in some parts of the country later in the week, including the southwest, Wales and much of northern England, which will see pollen counts increase to 'high' on Thursday.

Many hay fever sufferers find that antihistamines help with their symptoms, though you should discuss your treatment with your GP if you've started to experience hay fever symptoms, as there are some people who should not take them.

Met Office forecasters have also warned Britons to say 'goodbye' to wall-to-wall sunshine this week, with conditions taking a markedly cooler and wetter turn from today after the recent warm spell.

Meteorologist Craig Snell said: "It's mixed fortunes across the UK - for some of us, we see plenty of rain, but for others, it's actually going to be a largely fine day.

That really is the case for parts of eastern England, especially so for East Anglia and southeast England. Plenty of sunshine to come here today, it might well turn cloudy for a time, but that will be soon gone again with some late sunshine to come come.,

"But elsewhere, we see a lien of rain developing from the east of Scotland down into northwestern England, and maybe parts of Devon and Cornwall - quite a miserable day here."

Maximum temperatures on Monday will range from 18C in London to 9C in the far north, with "a few spots" potentially reaching 20C, he said.

Tuesday will then see conditions return to their cooler seasonal norm, dropping to 15C in the south.