Ah, the British weather. Even when it's good, it's shit. And when it's shit, well, it's even worse. Especially when there's a high pollen count mixing with thunderstorms, which is what's meant to be happening this weekend in parts of UK.
Because asthma sufferers are being warned that the high pollen count expected over the weekend could actually be fatal. Yes - fatal. And that's not just us exaggerating, either.
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Sonia Munde of Asthma UK is estimating that said an estimated 3.3million Brits had their asthma triggered by pollen last year.
Sonia told the Sun:"Thunderstorms can have a devastating impact on people with asthma and trigger an asthma attack which could be fatal.
"Humid, stormy conditions break the pollen into much smaller particles, which are then inhaled more deeply into the lungs and can lead to life-threatening asthma attacks."
Dubbed 'thunder fever', the combination of heavy storms and pollen actually killed nine people in Melbourne, Australia last year, and people with asthma are being urged to keep their medication on hand this weekend in anticipation of the effect this 'thunder fever' will have.
The scientific term for hay fever is allergic rhinitis. As the name suggests, it's an allergic reaction to pollen that tends to get worse when it's warm and humid.
Given that it's rarely warm and humid in Britain, it's not often something to worry that much about, save for the occasional uncontrollable sneezing fit.
According to The Mirror, as much as 40 percent of the population suffers from hay fever. Sneaky bugger that it is, pollen can find its way indoors through closed windows, so even if you take precautions that doesn't mean you won't suffer.
When pollen is inhaled, the proteins cause the antibodies to burst and release histamine. That's what causes the all the sneezing, sore eyes, itching and runny noses in those who suffer from the condition most severely - that's the body's defence mechanism trying to exorcise all those little plant demons.
So if you're prone to suffering, be on the lookout this weekend and make sure you're always within reach of your medication. It's a pain, sure, but better than flinging snot everywhere all the time.
Featured Image Credit: PA