'Thunder Fever' Warning As High Pollen Count And Stormy Weather Combine

For most hay fever sufferers, things are pretty crap at the moment. Any nice weather we have is tainted by a bunged up nose, itchy eyes and difficulty breathing.

As such, while the thunderstorms forecast to hit large swathes of the UK next week are far from ideal, hay fever sufferers can at least console themselves with the knowledge they should at least provide some allergy relief - except no wait, the storms are apparently going to make things worse.

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The huge volumes of rain we've had over the past few weeks, followed by the sunshine we've been having more recently, has created ideal conditions for grass pollen, meaning the count is extremely high.

When the storms come, they will make the pollen even more allergenic, according to allergens expert Max Wiseberg.

Speaking to the Daily Star, he said: "The sheer volume of rain we've experienced followed by sunshine is likely to create a potential grass pollen crisis in the UK.

"Sunny dry days could generate huge clouds of pollen exploding into the air triggering horrendous hay fever for the millions of Brits living with this debilitating condition.

"When there is a period of cool wet weather, like we experienced earlier this month, followed by warm or hot sunny weather, this creates the ideal conditions for grass pollen production."

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He continued: "The rain helps the grass to flourish, then as soon as the weather brightens and warms up, the healthy grass releases loads of pollen, creating high pollen counts across the country.

"We could see pollen levels remain high or very high through the rest of June and well into July.

"Thunderstorms, which are predicted next week, split the grains and make them more allergenic triggering a so-called thunder fever."

Anyone else delighted to hear that 'thunder fever' is a thing? Just when you thought hay fever couldn't get much more rubbish, thunder fever is forecast and we're doomed to sneeze and wheeze while also being drenched. Brilliant.

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The thunder fever could be particularly dangerous to people who suffer from asthma triggered by hay fever, according to the head of health advice at Asthma UK, Colette Harris.

She said: "With grass pollen levels expected to rise as temperatures climb, and reports of potential thunderstorms brewing, this time could spell misery for people whose asthma is triggered by hay fever.

"Stormy weather breaks the pollen into much smaller particles, which are then inhaled more deeply into the lungs.

"If you have asthma and are already noticing more asthma symptoms because of hay fever, such as coughing, a tight chest or breathlessness, make sure you keep your blue reliever inhaler with you at all times."

You can find out where and when the stormy weather is predicted here.

Stay strong brothers and sisters.

Topics: Weather, UK News, Interesting

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey