Met Office pollen maps show hay fever nightmare as 30C scorcher looms

Brits are bracing for a sneezing frenzy as the Met Office has warned of high pollen levels sweeping across the nation tomorrow (Friday, July 19).

Weather experts have issued a stark warning for those plagued by hay fever as temperatures could rise as high as 30C.

Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) this afternoon (Thursday, July 18), the Met Office said: "The warmer weather isn't good news for hay fever sufferers, with high pollen levels across most of the UK by tomorrow."

The post also included pollen maps for today and tomorrow. Today's shows most of England and Wales with high pollen levels, while Scotland and Northern Ireland display lower counts.

However by tomorrow, nearly the entire UK, save for the far north-west of Scotland and Shetland, can expect high pollen counts.

According to the Met Office's UKV weather, the mercury may hit peaks of 30C in south-east England, East Anglia, and parts of the Midlands tomorrow. Other parts of England to the north and west might not be far behind, with roasting highs of 28C to 29C.

The NHS says symptoms of hayfever include: "Sneezing and coughing, a runny or blocked nose, itchy, red or watery eyes, itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears, loss of smell, pain around the sides of your head and your forehead, headache and feeling tired."

Unfortunately, there is no cure for hay fever and you cannot prevent it. However, the NHS does list some things you can do to ease the symptoms:

• put petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) around your nostrils to trap pollen
• wear wraparound sunglasses, a mask or a wide-brimmed hat to stop pollen getting into your nose and eyes
• shower and change your clothes after you have been outside to wash pollen off
• keep windows and doors shut as much as possible
• vacuum regularly and dust with a damp cloth
• try to use a pollen filter in the air vents of your car, if you have one, and a HEPA filter in your vacuum cleaner