Spring has sprung and on the very first day of the new season the ACT was hit with an extreme pollen count, giving hayfever sufferers the sniffles, watery eyes and a taste of what’s in store for the next few months.

Often there's a slight rise in grass pollen in mid to late summer but because of the dry year we've had, grass pollen is below average from what we've seen in previous years

"The myth is that what you see in the environment is the thing that's triggering hay fever, but it's probably something else like grass pollen"

Some Canberrans have been heard moaning about the little white balls that float like snow. They see the fluff and their eyes start watering.

Floriade may be over, but #Canberra's spring time celebrations are still blooming - with pollen falling like snow in parts of the Capital

The sneezin' season in the northern hemisphere might be prolonged due to climate change, and scientists want to know what that could mean for asthma and hayfever sufferers in Australia.

"There should be more attention to the planting of trees that don't cause hay fever." Professor Simon Haberle

It will come as no surprise to Canberrans sneezing, wheezing and itching their way through these first days of Spring, but hayfever rates in the national capital have once again been confirmed as head and shoulders above the rest of the country, just as the yearly pollen counts begin to rise.

We're being told to expect warmer and drier than average conditions in #Canberra, prompting a reminder from allergy experts, for sufferers to be aware of the conditions and make sure they're taking the necessary precautions.

Allergy sufferers from Tokyo to London are struggling as pollen levels surge in cities, possibly due to a preference for male trees