HAY FEVER KILLER DISASTER: Pollen count will stay at record highs for FIVE MONTHS warn forecasters #TheElitePartyInJuly #Entertain9jar via @myentertain9jar

HAY FEVER sufferers face FIVE MONTHS of misery as Britain sneezes in the worst pollen levels for 50 YEARS.

 

Millions of Brits are suffering with acute hay fever with all of England and Wales on severe alert[MET OFFICE/GETTY]

Experts say sky high pollen counts will keep soaring until OCTOBER triggering the worst hayfever epidemic since the 1960s.

And temperatures rocketing into the 80s and even higher over the next month will make the problem much worse, experts warned.

GPs are seeing surgeries packed with patients needing medication - and chemists are running low on supplies of antihistamines - amid warnings extreme pollen and mould spore levels will trigger deadly asthma attacks.

And experts say the recent stormy weather has made the situation worse with thunderstorms known to cause a deadly soup of allergens in the air.

People who haven't suffered with hay fever for years are desperate for antihistamines [GETTY]

The Met Office has issued very high spore and pollen forecasts for the next five days across virtually the entire UK.

A terrifying map shows the entire south and central swathe of the country covered in red warnings with only Scotland escaping the misery.

Nottingham-based GP Dr Ian Campbell said people who have not suffered with hay fever for years are asking for antihistamines.

He said: "Hay fever is definitely very busy at the moment, people who have not had it for years are getting it while people who are normally controlled by tablets are asking for eye drops and nasal sprays.

"This is a particularly high pollen year and we have seen a rise in the number of people with allergies for an as yet unknown reason."

Soaring pollen levels prompted St John Ambulance to issue a stark warning for people to keep an eye out for others who may be struggling to breathe.

National training officer Isobel Kearl said: "If someone you know feels an attack coming on keep them calm - panicking could make their breathing worse.

"Help them into a comfortable breathing position and encourage them to use their inhaler if they have one.

"If you're asthmatic and you know hay fever affects you, keep your inhaler with you at all times."

Pollen levels soared during the 1960s and began to drop off through the 1970s and 80s mainly due to changing agricultural practices.

Since 1995 they have started to rise, especially in London, where the severity of the grass pollen season has returned to 1960s levels due to changes in weather patterns.

Pollen counts are now dangerously high across ALL of England and Wales [GETTY]

Asthma UK explained wind sweeps pollen into the atmosphere where humidity breaks it down into poisonous clouds of highly irritating allergic particles.

Deputy Chief Executive Samantha Walker warned vulnerable people, especially asthmatics, should check pollen levels and make sue they carry an inhaler.

She said: "Thunderstorms can lead to asthma attacks in children who usually have mild asthma and even in children who have hay fever but who have previously not had asthma symptoms.

"Everyone with asthma, especially those with asthma and hayfever must ensure they carry their reliever inhaler on them this weekend as they will be at an increased risk of a potentially life threatening asthma attack.

"We recommend checking the weather and local pollen forecasts and knowing what to do if symptoms worsen."

Chemists across Britain are reporting a surge in demand for anti-allergy drugs [GETTY]

According to specialist website hayfeversite.com, pollen from grass and weeds will continue to be pumped into the air until the end of September.

This month sufferers face the added misery of Linden and Poplar trees showering their pores into the atmosphere triggering itchy eyes and runny noses, it said.

A spokesman said: "The pollen season starts in February or March with pollens from trees becoming airborne.

"As many as 95 per cent of sufferers are allergic to the pollen from grasses, whereas only 10 per cent are allergic to the pollen from trees.

"The length of the pollen season has extended in recent years, the pollen count first peaking as early as March. This extension is believed to be another sign of world climate change."

Experts at the University of Worcester said volatile compounds given off by oilseed rape can cause breathing problems in people living near crop fields.

A spokesman said: "Oilseed rape (Brassica napus) pollen can cause hay fever in a small number of sufferers but Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) given off by the crop can cause irritation of the upper respiratory tract and eyes in some people in close proximity to the crop.

"[There is] an increasing risk for fungal spores reaching the high category during warm dry weather and during warm humid nights.

"Nettle will follow a similar pattern to grass while the other weeds flowering will be plantain and dock."

More people than ever before are suffering from hay fever and allergies this summer [GETTY]

Meteorologist John Kettley said: "Hayfever sufferers should take particular care in the morning and late evening when symptoms like itchy eyes and a runny nose are at their most severe.

"These peaks are caused by pollen rising upwards with the heat of the day and then falling back to earth as the temperature drops in the evening.

"Sufferers should try to stay inside and close windows during these times of the day, wear wraparound sunglasses and ensure they take a hayfever remedy that offers fast and effective relief."

* Get the latest pollen forecast from the Met Office