A charity has warned surging pollen counts could lead to a wave of hospitalisations and deaths after the Met Office issued new warnings showing pollen counts will hit ‘very high’ levels across Britain this week. 

The UK’s official forecasters issued red warnings signaling pollen counts are set to rise throughout the week, with new maps showing the places that will be hardest hit by bouts of hay fever. 

The maps show England and Wales will be hardest hit by the ‘very high’ pollen counts, as it warned pollen levels will also be ‘high in Scotland and Northern Ireland.   

Alarms were in turn raised that the high pollen counts could trigger ‘life-threatening reactions’ in those with lung conditions, including those with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 

The campaigners said the ‘extremely high’ pollen levels could be ‘deadly’ and could leave those with asthma fighting to breathe. 

Pollen counts are set to soar to ‘very high’ levels across England and Wales over the coming days, the Met Office said

The Met Office issued a red warning that pollen counts will be ‘very high’ across England and Wales this Wednesday via a new map that shows the areas that will be hardest hit

The Met Office issued red warnings of ‘very high’ pollen counts in Yorkshire and Humberside, the North West, West Midlands, Wales, East of England, South West, and London and South East England over the coming week. 

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The UK forecasters also warned pollen counts will be high in the North East of England, Northern Ireland, and the Scottish regions of the Lothian Borders, Highlands, and Dumfries and Galloway.

The Met Office warned the UK is entering ‘peak’ pollen season, as it noted grass pollen counts are on the rise. 

Lung health charity Asthma + Lung UK in turn warned the high pollen counts could pose a serious risk to those living with lung conditions, as it noted pollen is a major trigger for those living with asthma and COPD. 

Pollen counts are set to be ‘very high’ in England and Wales (File photo: Sunseekers enjoy a day out at Durdle Door in Dorset)

England and Wales are set to experience the highest pollen counts this Tuesday with levels set to remain ‘high’ in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Pollen counts will remain high throughout Britain and Northern Ireland this Tuesday

The charity noted that almost half (47.1 per cent) of the 5 million Brits living with asthma and more than a quarter (27.4 per cent) of the 1.3 million British people living with COPD are triggered by pollen. 

Advice at Asthma + Lung’s head of health advice, Emma Rubach, said: ‘High pollen levels can be very dangerous for people with conditions like asthma, bringing on serious symptoms like wheezing and breathlessness.’ 

‘They can prompt asthma attacks which can be terrifying, leaving them fighting to breathe. This can be deadly and around four people already die in the UK each day from an asthma attack.’ 

The health campaigner advised those suffering from lung conditions to make sure they have their inhalers to hand, and suggested that anyone who feels their symptoms getting ‘much worse’ should book an appointment with their GP.