The NHS and allergy charities have swung into action, issuing a stream of advice for sufferers. The guidance is, in many ways, the antithesis of what the weather would normally encourage. People are being told to stay indoors, keep their windows and doors firmly shut, and avoid hanging washing outside where it can become a magnet for pollen. After venturing outside, the advice is to shower and change clothes to remove any clinging pollen grains. It is a regime of defensive living, a way of navigating the world as if it were a hostile, sneeze-inducing obstacle course. The early morning and early evening are pinpointed as particularly bad times, as pollen counts tend to peak during these periods.
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This ‘pollen bomb’ is a cruel trick of nature. The warm, dry weather that we all crave is precisely the condition that allows the trees to release their pollen in such profusion. The wind then does the rest, carrying the microscopic grains far and wide. For hay fever sufferers, the next few days will be a test of endurance. The medicine cabinets will be raided for antihistamines and nasal sprays. The beautiful sunshine will be viewed through a pane of glass, a tantalising but unreachable paradise. It is a stark reminder that even in the most pleasant of weather, there is often a hidden cost. The spirit of the nation may be lifted by the warmth, but for millions, that spirit is accompanied by a sniffle and an itchy eye.
