Hay fever sufferers told to ‘act now’ UK faces ‘severe’ year for tree pollen

sufferers may be hit harder than usual this spring as experts have predicted a “severe” year for tree pollen. People who are sensitive to the allergens are already being hit by runny noses, sneezing and itchy eyes as trees start to release fine particles into the air. The , which will launch its daily pollen forecast on Thursday, has been monitoring the atmosphere for clues about what to expect.

Health and air quality manager Yolanda Clewlow said: “We look at a very broad picture for the pollen outlook, including the weather in the previous year when pollen is formed on some plants, to make a judgement on how bad a season might be for pollen release. It is too early to comment on the upcoming grass season, however, we are confident that we will have a significantly high birch pollen season this year due to conditions last spring/summer when the pollen was forming on the trees.”

Leading pollen forecaster Dr Beverley Adams-Groom, an expert at the University of Worcester whose work informs predictions, said this season will be “more severe than average” due to warmer weather last June.

She explained: “Climate change is triggering the increase. In June of the previous summer, birch pollen is set in the buds and when June is warmer, there tends to be an increased amount of pollen produced.

“Increasingly warmer June temperatures are occurring due to climate change, and the effect is particularly affecting the central regions of the UK.”

The trend is less pronounced in southern and eastern parts of the UK “due to periods of cold winds in the spring that tend to reduce the amount of pollen released during the season”, she added.

The birch pollen season is expected to start in early April but alder pollen is already at high levels with moderate levels of hazel pollen in some areas, according to Worcester University’s pollen forecast for this week.

The UK tends to have alternating years of high and low severity for tree pollen — and this year is high, Dr Adams-Groom added. Tree pollen season usually lasts from late March until mid-May, followed by grass pollen season which runs from mid-May until July.

Dr Adams-Groom said: “It’s too early to predict much about the grass pollen season but very early indications suggest that it will be an average season and is unlikely to be starting earlier than average.

“January temperature can be an indicator of severity, with warmer temperatures often leading to a more severe season and vice versa.

“Since it was quite cold in January 2025, that suggests the season won’t be too severe. With the winter being on the cooler side in general, that suggests the onset will occur around average or be slightly delayed.”

Allergy UK urged hay fever sufferers to start taking their medication. The charity’s head of clinical services, Amena Warner, said: “Hay fever is often associated with other conditions such as which can complicate management and increase health risks.

“The symptoms of hay fever can also affect quality — and we know that sustained periods of poor sleep can also increase risks of other illnesses too.”