Experts reveal exactly when hellish hay fever season will end

Under normal circumstances, hay fever season can be quite uncomfortable for pollen allergy sufferers.

But Britons have found their allergies to be worse than in previous years, with many complaining of aggressive symptoms.

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In fact, the Met Office has been forecasting “very high” pollen counts across the UK for the past few weeks.

There are several reasons for this, one of which is the hotter weather.

According to meteorologists, “unusually mild winters, warm springs and dry summers in recent years have resulted in stronger crop growth and a longer and more vigorous growing season.”

“Changing climate will mean that changes in temperature and precipitation may extend the pollen season in the UK and potentially increase pollen concentrations,” it said.

“It is possible that climate change is leading to a change in pollen strength – a single pollen particle can contain different amounts of the allergenic agent.”

Hay fever is essentially an allergic reaction to the pollen of different plants flowering at different times and is therefore affected by their growth cycles.

Although the pollen season in the UK typically lasts from March to November each year, you may only be allergic to certain types of pollen, so you probably won’t feel itchy and sneezing all the time.

However, there are about 30 different types of pollen that cause hay fever, and it’s possible to be allergic to more than one type.

What are the different types of pollen and when do their cycles end?

Thankfully, the first pollen flight from trees – which affects 25 per cent of hay fever sufferers – is all but over in the UK, as it typically lasts between late March and mid-May.

Most people are prone to an allergy to grass pollen.

Unfortunately, there are usually two peaks and it lasts from mid-May to July.

In England and Wales, the first two weeks of June is the grass pollen season.

The second, lower peak will occur in the first two weeks of July, after which the Met Office says the situation will start to ease.

Also, weed pollen is one thing that is usually released between the end of June and September.

Forecasters point out that the pollen peaks can be obscured by wet, dry, warm or cold weather and that their timing depends heavily on the weather in spring and early summer.

Lower winter temperatures mean plants and trees are dormant longer into the new year, which means less pollen is produced. However, this may change if soil and air temperatures are higher than normal in spring.

Spring rains are also crucial as a dry season reduces pollen production.

Where you live in the UK also affects when the hay fever season starts and ends.

For example, in the north of the UK the season starts later and is shorter, and counts are generally lower in urban areas than in the countryside.

The numbers are also higher inland than on the coast.

Ultimately, this means that hay fever hell should be over for most people by mid-July and everyone can breathe a sigh of relief in September.