Hankies at the ready!

HAYFEVER SPIKE ON WAY AMID AMBER ALERT FOR POLLEN

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE Countryside and Tourism Editor [e-mail]

HAYFEVER sufferers in Wales are having to brace for itchy eyes and runny noses ahead of a potentially record-breaking spell of warm weather is forecast to bring with it ‘very high’ pollen levels.

Red warnings for pollen were issued by the Met Office earlier this week, with amber ‘high’ alerts for today and Saturday.

The forecaster expects significant levels of airborne oak pollen in Wales. Some plane pollen is also circulat-ing, though these trees are mostly concentrated in southern England.

Both are common causes of allergic reactions, the latter especially in urban areas.

In sensitive individuals, they can exacerbate asthma.

Recent research suggests hayfever seasons are getting longer in Britain, with climate change increasing the number of days each year when conditions are ripe for the allergy.

Temperature plays an important role in pollen release, with trees shedding pollen between 13C and 15C and grass between 18C-28C, according to the Met Office.

The theory is that warmer temper-atures caused by climate change are leading to longer growing seasons for pollen-producing plants.

The result is extended periods of allergy symptoms for sufferers.