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A runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing – whatever your hay fever symptoms, it’s no surprise if you’ve had a flare-up recently. During spring, both tree and grass pollen is released into the air. If you’re allergic to the proteins they contain, your nose, eyes, throat and sinuses can become swollen, irritated and inflamed. “Many people are suffering from hay fever just now because the pollen count is high, thanks in part to climate change,” says Dr Nisa Aslam, GP from Typharm’s Skin Life Sciences Foundation. “Plus the pollen season is getting longer.” The immune function plays an important role in an allergic reactions, she explains. “People who suffer from hay fever often have a family history of not just hay fever, but also skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis, which can often be borne out of problems with the immune system.” The weather can also be a contributing factor in how badly you’re affected. “Some hay fever sufferers may be experiencing a sudden spike in their symptoms a bit earlier than usual, this may be due to the recent prolonged wet and windy weather,” says Claire Nevinson, superintendent pharmacist at Boots. “On a daily basis, rainfall tends to decrease pollen, but over a period of months, intermittent wet days tend to produce a more severe hay fever season overall.” Conditions could be about to get even worse. A recent study by the University of Worcester, published in the Science of The Total Environment journal, warned that it could be one of the worst seasons for birch pollen on record. The severity is due to two things. “Firstly, higher than average temperatures last June, when the pollen is produced, allowed greater potential for high pollen levels,” says Dr Beverley Adams-Groom, senior pollen forecaster at the university. “Secondly, birch trees have a biennial pattern of pollen production, one mild year and one severe year, and this year was already expected to be a high year.” So what can you do if your hay fever is much worse than usual at the moment? The first step is to avoid exposure to the pollen that affects you the most. “Allergens responsible for hay fever include grass pollens and tree pollens [spring and summer], weed pollens and fungal mould spores,” says Dr Aslam. “Watch the daily pollen forecasts. Don’t go outside when the pollen count is high and keep all windows shut.” Preventive medicines can help to reduce symptoms if you know in advance when you’re going to be exposed to pollen. “This can be a steroid nasal spray one to two weeks before symptoms start,” says Dr Aslam. Alternatively, natural nasal sprays “can help to prevent the symptoms of hayfever and other types of allergic rhinitis by forming a protective film in our inner nose, stopping allergens that we breathe in from trying to enter our respiratory system”, she says. Similarly, ointments like Vaseline can act as a pollen trap. “Apply a barrier balm of petroleum jelly around your nose to trap the pollen and help relieve dry and uncomfortable skin from repetitive nose blowing,” Ms Nevinson says. “Shower and change your clothes after you have been outside to wash pollen off and wear wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting into your eyes.” Read More Seasonal allergies tips and tricks as pollen count rises What is the link between pollen and eye infections? Hay fever may be mistaken for Covid, warns expert Why do heatwaves in the UK feel hotter than abroad? The startling and grim discoveries unearthed by the climate crisis Earth’s CO2 hits highest recorded level in human history

To beat summer heat, wine lovers often turn to vinho verde, a light, refreshing wine from northern Portugal that has enjoyed a boomlet the past few years. One sign of its popularity – several local wineries are producing their own “verde-style” wines with the hallmarks of sharp acidity and slight carbonation. But what exactly is this “green wine”? Here are five things to know about this popular summer sip. 1. The name There’s no agreed on explanation for the name, which apparently evolved around the 17th century when the wines were first exported to Britain. It could be a reference to the “green” underripe flavours of tart apples and lime blossom in the very fresh, raw wine. It could also refer to the lush green landscape of the Minho region in northwestern Portugal, where the Atlantic Ocean’s maritime influence produces a climate and terroir starkly different from the parched Mediterranean lands in the Algarve to the south. The Portuguese pronunciation is VEEN-yo VER-da, with the last syllable all but swallowed. If, like most people, you pronounce it VEE-no VERD-ee, the Portuguese winemakers will not complain. They will smile politely, pocket your cash and be happy you are enjoying their wine. Green wine comes in white, pink and red (sorry, I couldn’t resist). Very little red is produced. Both the whites and rosés are notable for tart acidity (those green flavours) and a slight spritz of carbonation, which combine to make them refreshing, especially in hot weather. They are intended to be enjoyed, not aged. In fact, many are not even vintage-dated because they’re not expected to last long enough for the year to be relevant. So drink up! 2. The region and the grapes Vinho verde is Portugal’s largest demarcated wine region, or appellation (though the administrative region is called Minho). There are nine subzones which generally do not appear on wine labels but may become increasingly important as winemakers explore different expressions of vinho verde. The main grapes are alvarinho (familiar to us as albariño) and loureiro, a crisp white often compared to riesling. There are several other varieties that are even harder to pronounce and noteworthy only if you are keeping track of varieties you’ve tasted. Alvarinho dominates the blends in the north (where the Minho borders Spain’s Rias Baixas region), and loureiro is more prominent further south. 3. That spritz Vinho verde has been exported at least since the 17th century. Back in the day, the wine’s signature spritz resulted from a little bit of sugar remaining as the wines were rushed into bottle before fermentation had finished. Today, the bubbles are added artificially by carbonation before bottling. The level of carbonation is up to the producer – some vinho verde can be quite fizzy, while others gently tickle the palate. 4. You can use it in cocktails Vinho verde’s fizz and still relatively low price make it an ideal foil for your summer mixology efforts. An ice cube, slice of lime and a splash of gin make a nice spritzer. It can also be a great base for sangria. 5. New styles are evolving While we think of vinho verde as a simple, enjoyable starter wine for a summer repast, some winemakers are producing more serious versions. These are usually made from a single variety (such as alvarinho or loureiro) and labelled with the vintage. Some producers are bottling single-vineyard wines to highlight a site’s granite or schist soils. “The wines are changing and moving forward with an international, incredibly bright and pure style,” says Eugénio Jardim, the brand ambassador for Wines of Portugal. He cited Anselmo Mendes and Quinta da Soalheiro as pioneers of this new style. “This is a region in flux, with the quality of wines soaring in recent years,” Jardim tells me. “This is not a one-note region.” © The Washington Post Read More Sierra Nevada lakes change more in past 100 years than three millennia How the climate crisis played a role in fueling Hurricane Ida Against the odds: The fight to save sea turtles in Ras Baridi The Norwegian sparkling wine aged at the bottom of the sea The curious history of sauvignon blanc – and what to drink if you hate it The Independent Wine Club best cases 2023: Wine from small growers

Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve married his partner in the Las Vegas Grand Prix paddock on Thursday night (16 November). The official F1 Las Vegas X/Twitter account confirmed the news on 17 November, sharing photos of the couple, with the caption: “Married in Vegas: F1 style.” A few days before the wedding, F1 also released a short clip of the chapel created inside the circuit featuring the slogan “Race to the Altar”. Couples and race fans can now say “I do” at the chapel through a special wedding package. The space is embellished with racing-themed decorations and the couples that do get a chance to get married there will be presented with a bouquet of roses inspired by racing cars. “Love in the fast lane. Introducing the first-ever #F1 wedding chapel.” the caption in the post said. In another post featured on F1 Las Vegas’s Instagram stories, Villeneuve’s partner Giulia is seen dazzling her guests wearing a classic white gown as she walks down the aisle. The short video also shows the happy couple posing for photos with friends and family members. Former Williams engineer, Jock Clear, was reportedly Villeneuve’s best man for the occasion and the newlyweds enjoyed their moment together as an Elvis impersonator sang ‘Here Comes The Bride.’ Villeneuve won the Formula One World Championship with Williams in 1997. According to Planet F1, the champion made his comeback earlier this year - 17 years on from his final race. Speaking to Planet F1 in an exclusive interview back in February, the champion said: “I’ve never been retired!” “So it’s not even semi-retirement. I know a lot of people think that I haven’t been racing. After F1, I moved to North America to focus on that. “Ever since, I’ve been doing just piecemeal races – never full championships. Ice racing in France, V8 Supercars in Australia, Nascar, I did some Formula E, EuroNascar, the Indy 500… so I actually never retired, it was just very complicated to get full-time race seats, mostly because I was busy building up a family,” he added. Villeneuve’s wedding came hours before a chaotic first practice session was abandoned and the second session delayed due to Carlos Sainz striking a manhole cover which destroyed the bottom of his car - and resulted in him getting a ten-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race. Detailing what had gone wrong an FIA spokesman said: “Following inspection, it was the concrete frame around a manhole cover that has failed. We now need to check all of the other manhole covers which will take some time – we will be discussing with the local circuit engineering team about the length of time it will take to resolve.” The on-track action eventually resumed two-and-a-half hours late and finished up at 4am local time - after fans had been told to leave at 1:30am in what was an all-round disaster of an opening night. Read More F1 enters new Las Vegas dawn with disaster on opening night Watch: Sparks fly as Sainz’s Ferrari hits drain cover on Las Vegas F1 circuit Empty grandstands at Las Vegas GP as chaotic practice session takes place at 3am Carlos Sainz handed ‘ridiculous’ penalty after drain cover crash at Las Vegas GP Las Vegas GP resumes in front of empty stands as fans sent home at 1:30am Ferrari team boss fumes over damage to Sainz car: ‘Just unacceptable’