SNEEZY DOES IT

TISSUES READY FOR POLLEN SUFFERERS IN HEATWAVE

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE

POLLEN counts are increasing across large parts of the UK as the heat builds, the Met Office has warned. Hay fever sufferers in Wales are being advised to keep tissues handy over the next three days.

The Met Office said "very high" pollen counts will be seen over the country today and tomorrow. This red level alert is the highest for pollen that's issued by the forecaster.

Grass pollen is rated the main threat in Wales, with weed pollen levels expected to remain "moderate".

The former is the trigger for the majority of hay fever sufferers, with counts of between 50 and 150 grains per cubic metre likely this week.

The warning applies to much of southern Britain.

Slightly lower pollen levels are forecast for northern England, while parts of Scotland are currently experiencing "low" amounts of pollen.

Complicating the picture is the current surge in Covid cases and the emergence of a new variant, NB. 1.8.1, also known as Nimbus.