Seasonal Allergies in the British isles

Climate in the United Kingdom is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, and the areas closest to the ocean (Western England and Scotland, Northern island and Wales) are the mildest, wettest and windiest regions. Eastern parts of the country experience larger temperature variations, especially North East, are drier and less windy. 

Plants native to the British Isles include Alder, Ash, Aspen, Beech, Birch , Cherry, Chestnut, Elm, Hazel, Maple and Willow. Roses. England is home to hundreds of flowers, such as sweet smelling roses with scent especially strong in the rain. Since 11th century hay meadows become commonplace, creating the abundance of flowers and grasses.

In the Springtime the flowers as well as allergies come.

15 to 20% of the population in UK is affected by seasonal allergies, mainly related to grass pollen. It can affect ability to drive, work and study, so it should not be ignored. Mold allergies could trigger asthma - Didymelia, for example, is highest during harvesting of wheat and barley. Alternaria, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Penicillum and Sporobolomyce can be also detected.


Allergy forecasts can be found at many sites. Here is  one of the best ones, supported by National Pollen and Astrobiology Research unit.

Another way to keep an eye on allergies is to listen to people - check for example, the respiratory allergies section of this UK forum.

Zirtek privided a very useful resource for allergy sufferers in UK. They author the large map above.
Some of the things not included in this map are Cedar trees that flower from September to December
and Chenopodium (goosefoot) that flowers during late summer. Most notable fungal allergens include Alternaria, Didymella, Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Penicillium and Sporobolomyces.

Grass pollen map illustrates how seasonal allergies fluctuate on an annual basis. 

Flu activity increasing in Europe, remains moderate but widespreads in US

In the first week of January, United Kingdom and Denmark had the highest flu circulation in Europe, (High in England and Ireland, moderate in Whales and Scotland), followed by Belgium, France, Israel, Italy, Luxemburg, Spain, and Malta.  Ukraine and Russia also experienced high flu activity. Most flu isolates are 2009 H1N1.
In Japan, there were more flu incidents, mostly of 2009 H1N1 origin. Google flu map predicted lower activity for Japan and highest for Norway, lowest for the Southern hemisphere. 

In the United States, influenza-like illness (ILI) was down the week before but still above the national baseline. Yet three more states reported widespread flu than the week before, updating the list to: Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, North Carolina, and Virginia. New York City and six states: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma reported high ILI activity, Nevada and New Jersey reported moderate ILI activity, and the remaining states reported either low or minimal activity. No antibiotic resistant strains have been found.