Daffodils popping up from the ground beneath us and cherry blossom buds growing on trees above us are just some of the signs that winter is almost behind us.

Spring is certainly on its way and we will soon be waving goodbye to the gloomy months of the year, as the longer hours of daylight begin to creep in.

Although we can almost smell the fresh air of spring, this means hay fever season will be here before we know it – a time that many people often dread as we go into the warmer months.

From non-stop runny noses to itchy eyes, those who are allergic to pollen will be stocking up on home remedies and pharmacy medicines to help relieve their symptoms once again.

But when do hay fever symptoms start in the UK? Let’s find out.

This is when hay fever symptoms start in the UK

The first kind of pollen to arrive is tree pollen, typically from late March to mid-May, and affects around 25% of people.

The Met Office added: “Most people are allergic to grass pollen (which actually has two peaks) and the season lasts from mid-May until July.

“Weed pollen can be released at any time but the season typically covers the end of June to September.”

However, depending on where you live in the UK, hay fever season will start at different times.

This is Oxfordshire: Is there a specific kind of pollen you are allergic too?Is there a specific kind of pollen you are allergic too? (Image: Getty)

The forecasters explained: “For example, there’s a later start and shorter season in the north of the UK, where generally there is less pollen. Urban areas have lower counts than the countryside, and places inland have higher counts than around the coast.

“If we look at grass pollen, the peak across England and Wales, for example, usually starts in the first two weeks of June. There are two peaks though, with the second, lower peak occurring in the first two weeks of July, after which things tail off slowly.”

The peaks of hay fever vary depending on the weather during spring and early summer and “may be masked by how wet, dry, warm or cold it is.”

Recommended reading:

Simple Ways to Create a Wildlife-friendly Garden  

As well the weather conditions, there are lots of other factors that change the start date of the pollen season.

The Met Office says: “Low temperatures in winter will keep plants and trees dormant for longer into the new year. Essentially, the lower the temperature the less pollen is produced, but, this can change if soil and air temperatures in spring are higher than normal.

“Spring rainfall is also key, as a dry season reduces the amount of pollen production. Regardless of the weather, pollen is also dependent on how hardy different species are and how well they cope with a mixture of different types in one region.”