THE UK is heading towards the worst day this year for hay fever. Pollen counts will be 'very high' across almost the whole of the UK on Monday causing misery for millions. Only Orkney and Shetland and the Highlands and Eilean SIar, in Scotland, will have 'medium' counts.
It comes as the NHS saw a doubling in visits to its page on hay fever. The NHS website has received an average of 11,736 visits a day since Monday June 18 compared to a daily average of 4,749 visits at the weekend – an increase of 147 per cent. Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS National Medical Director, said: “Most people will be pleased to see summer finally arrive, but it also seems to have led to an increase in pollen levels and discomfort for hay fever sufferers .
" 'Hay Day' was a term dubbed by the charity Asthma + Lung UK for the worst day of the year for people with hay fever, typically on June 21. Allergens expert and creator of HayMax allergen barrier balms Max Wiseberg, says: "On Monday for 14 of the 16 UK regions – with only northern Scotland escaping. "This will be worse than ‘Hay Day’ [Friday June 21] when ‘only’ 12 UK regions are likely to have very high pollen levels.
“Whether or not this turns out to be the case, this weekend and early next week will certainly be one of the worst times for hay fever sufferers. "Many regions of the UK are forecast to have high and very high pollen counts for the foreseeable future. We are definitely in peak hay fever season.
” Million Britons a.
