Home
Weather Dublin
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    Under pressure: Does the weather give you a headache?

08:00
3 May 2023

Under pressure
Does the weather give you a headache?

headache

Is the weather giving you a headache? If so, you aren't alone.

Forecasting the weather can cause all kinds of headaches, but how about the weather itself? If you suffer from what seems like a random onset of headaches, it could be down to a change in the weather.

According to the NHS, "Pressure changes that cause weather changes are thought to trigger chemical and electrical changes in the brain. This irritates nerves, leading to a headache."

This is because the air around you has a weight. In a high pressure system, air is more dense and sinks. As a result, higher pressure means a greater weight exerted down onto the surface of the Earth.

Headaches can be brought on by a change in the pressure, not just high pressure. When the pressure changes, it creates a difference between the outside air, and your sinuses and ears, which can result in pain. This is also what happens when you are inside a plane.

It's not just barometric pressure changes that can cause headaches, but also a change in winds for example, which can stir up allergens in the air and aggravate your sinuses. Seasonal changes too, due to pollen, may also trigger this.

Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
Record-breaking heatwave in Europe. New records. . . Thursday 25 June 2026
A map showing extremely high temperatures across Western Europe and a warning symbol. On the right, people cool off at a fountain in front of the Eiffel Tower during the heatwave in Paris.
Thursday 25 June 2026

New records

Record-breaking heatwave in Europe
Super typhoon near the Philippines. Gusts of up to 155 mph. . . Tuesday 23 June 2026
WindRadar showing Typhoon MEKKHALA east of Taiwan. A clearly visible eye, surrounded by areas of extremely high wind speeds.
Tuesday 23 June 2026

Gusts of up to 155 mph

Super typhoon near the Philippines
New record June temperature in the UK. Likely to be broken again. . . Thursday 25 June 2026
Heat map of southern England on 24.06 showing extreme temperatures across Hampshire, with Gosport highlighted at 36.1°C and nearby Portsmouth around 35°C amid deep red heat zones.
Thursday 25 June 2026

Likely to be broken again

New record June temperature in the UK
All weather news
This might also interest you
Storm Benjamin impacts the UK. Warnings active. . . Wednesday 22 October 2025
Split weather map showing UK wind speeds in orange-red shades up to 40 mph on the left and warning levels in green-yellow on the right, with a central wind warning sign.
Wednesday 22 October 2025

Warnings active

Storm Benjamin impacts the UK
Historic Storm Éowyn arrives. On this day.... . . Saturday 24 January 2026
Split image showing a person in a yellow jacket struggling against strong winds and heavy rain on a street at night on the left, and an Irish wind forecast map on the right with red and purple shading, gusts up to 75 mph, and a wind warning icon, divided by a curved white line.
Saturday 24 January 2026

On this day...

Historic Storm Éowyn arrives
New records for England and Wales. Broken again tomorrow?. . . Thursday 25 June 2026
Temperature map of southwest Britain on 25.06 showing extreme heat across southern Wales and southwest England, with Bute Park in Cardiff highlighted at 34.2°C and Yeovilton at 36.4°C amid widespread deep red heat zones.
Thursday 25 June 2026

Broken again tomorrow?

New records for England and Wales
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwitteryouTubelinkList