Hayfever is getting worse

Hayfever is becoming a year-round phenomenon because of global warming, experts including one of Britain's best-known weathermen said today.

"Higher temperatures are extending the grass flowering season," said BBC forecaster Michael Fish. "Like me, many more people will be condemned to longer bouts of sneezing, itchy eyes, headaches and a throbbing nose."

Many trees and grasses are blooming earlier and for longer, releasing pollen for longer periods than before - according to the Woodland Trust, which organises the biggest survey of the seasonal activity of British plants.

Up to 95 per cent of hayfever is triggered by grass pollen. Last year the grass pollen season extended into August, instead of ending in July. Another factor in the length of the hayfever season is that, in some parts of the country, mowing the lawn has become a constant year-long chore.

Although cut grass is usually too short to flower, sap allergens released by cut grass exacerbate sensitivity.

This spring, the Trust and the National Pollen Research Unit are asking people to record the early flowering grasses as part of a survey, to monitor the timing of nature's events in a changing environment.