'Thunder fever' to strike again: Warning as heavy rain expected to trigger rare weather phenomenon

16 August 2022, 21:46

'Thunder fever' is set to cause havoc for millions of hay fever sufferers as heavy downpours replace scorching temperatures across the UK.

The combination of high pollen counts and wet weather could trigger deadly allergic reactions, a doctor has warned.

Hay fever sufferers could be hit with 'thunder fever' later this week, which is an extreme version of hay fever.

However, around 60 per cent of asthmatics whose symptoms are triggered by pollen could also be at risk.

It comes as the Met Office has issued several thunderstorm warnings for across the UK until the end of Wednesday, with the Environment Agency putting out 19 flood alerts in areas of the Midlands and south-east England.

'Thunder fever' or 'thunderstorm asthma' occurs when a combination of high pollen counts combines with wet weather.

Moisture from the storm shatters pollen normally too large to enter the lungs into tiny pieces, meaning it can travel inside the airways.

Read more: Tornado over Cornwall as huge mudslides and torrential downpours hit UK

Dr Sophie Farooque, who specialises in allergies, said in a series of tweets that the extreme change in weather conditions this week could result in thunder fever on a scale not seen since 1994.

"This week thunderstorms are expected and I want to make people with hay fever aware of a very rare phenomenon called thunderstorm asthma," she said.

Dr Farrooque explained that a thunderstorm asthma event in Melbourne in November 2016 that killed eight asthmatics, according to MailOnline.

She added: "Normally pollen (& moulds such as Alternaria) are too large to enter the lungs. But when a thunderstorm is brewing, updrafts of air can lift whole pollen grains up into the clouds.

"When exposed to moisture, these grains rupture into tiny pieces making them highly allergenic.

"Windy downdrafts then carry these fragments to ground level, resulting in a 'pollen shower' where people can inhale the minute fragments deep into their lungs, triggering an asthma attack."

She advised: "If a thunderstorm is forecast and you have hay fever +/- asthma, take the following steps:

"1. Remain indoors & close windows & doors before & during the storm.

"2. If you have to go outside, wear a mask.

"3. If you experience an asthma attack, take antihistamines."