Just when Canberrans might have thought they were out of the woods when it comes to hayfever, chances are the itchy eyes and stuffy noses came back with a vengeance last week. If you’re a hayfever sufferer, the bad news is there are two pollen seasons in the ACT.

It might have seemed like a perfect day, with sunny skies and new freedoms but spare a thought for Canberra's hayfever sufferers this Friday. The ANU reported the largest number of grass pollens it's ever had in more than 10 years of monitoring.

As one bumper pollen season comes to an end, the region will slide smoothly – albeit with itchy eyes and sneezing – into the next.

However, renowned pollen expert Professor Simon Haberle wants to focus on what he thinks could be a silver lining for hay fever sufferers in the weeks ahead.

While Canberra is notorious for high levels of pollen in spring, Professor Simon Haberle, a palaeoecologist from the Australian National University, says he's predicting a stronger allergy season compared to previous years.
"The increase in rain leads to more plant productivity and we have noticed a lot more pollen because of this," he said.
"The link to bees is there's more pollen for them to forage, which will likely increase the number of them around the ACT.

THE onset of an “extreme” hay fever and asthma season will be adding to the covid woes of many locals.

Prof Simon Haberle, director of ANU School of Culture, History and Language, is the expert leading a team of researchers who track daily pollen and spore counts on the Canberra Pollen website.

• Researchers say the significant grass pollen increase affected public health
• But they couldn't say climate change directly increased pollen levels
• Experts want more research into the impact of climate change on allergies

The ANU's Professor Simon Haberle who leads a team which tracks daily pollen levels says the high count is "a clear sign allergy sufferers can expect a congested season ahead".

"This is perhaps an indication of another bumper year for airborne pollen in and around the ACT," Professor Haberle said.

"A combination of the warming weather, a wet winter with high soil moisture and windy days are all signs that are pointing to another record pollen season."

Extreme levels of pollen from cypress pine trees in the Canberra region this week are a clear sign allergy sufferers can expect a congested season ahead, according to a leading pollen expert from The Australian National University (ANU).

Canberra allergy sufferers should prepare for a bad hay fever season. Last year’s was the worst on record, and this spring is shaping up to be just as severe, ANU pollen expert Simon Haberle predicts.

“The early measurements of tree pollen we’re recording at the moment are really very high – and that tends to happen when there’s going to be a high pollen season,” said Professor Haberle, director of the ANU School of Culture, History and Language.

Canberrans are set for a congested spring with an onslaught of extreme pollen anticipated to lash the region in the coming weeks.

Leading pollen expert Simon Haberle from the Australian National University said allergy sufferers in the ACT would be hit hard from a heightened level of pollens plaguing the area.