Why is my hay fever so bad as temperatures soar and how does the weather affect it?

As the combination of sunshine and rain propels plant growth, Scotland is experiencing a surge in pollen levels.

It means sneezing, runny or blocked nose, itchy watery eyes and even headaches for hay fever sufferers.

Hay fever is an allergic reaction to certain types of pollen and the more that comes into contact with your eyes, nose and throat, the worse your symptoms get.

It can be miserable, especially for asthma sufferers who often get more severe reactions.

Across Scotland, the pollen count is particularly high at the moment – but the forecast might offer respite.

Insight Philip Petrie STV weather presenter

As a weather presenter it’s sometimes a mistake to presume viewers and readers prefer the dry and warm weather, because that is not always the case.

That’s why I always try to add a caveat when I say “good news, it’s looking sunny and hot over the next couple of days (if you like that sort of thing)”.

If you suffer from hay fever I imagine you’ll be one of the few who dislike the warm and dry conditions because that’s the perfect weather for pollen levels to increase, as they are at the moment.

We are in the peak of the grass pollen season right now, so it is likely your eyes have been particularly itchy and teary this past week, especially if you have been out and about. We’re seeing quite rare Very High levels of pollen across much of southern Scotland, with High levels further north.

Slightly good news though over the next 24 hours as we see some cloud and drizzle around, helping flush out a lot of the pollen in areas, and levels decreasing to Moderate around the north and north west, High in central and southern parts.

Unfortunately it’s very difficult to avoid the pollen once it is in the air, and a lot of remedies are pure myths.

Antihistamines and nasal sprays are good at relieving some of the symptoms day to day, but the best remedy, as much as it pains me to say, is bad weather.