Canberra's hay fever sufferers can expect another three to four weeks of sneezing and coughing after a rise in grass pollen levels attributed to spring rain.
And they will have to wait for at least another year before they can use the ''pollen calendar'' being developed at the Australian National University to work out which pollens are triggering attacks.
ANU paleoecologist Simon Haberle said the pollen season was much longer this spring. ''There's a lot of strong grass growth around Canberra and the region so I think it will persist.'' Dr Haberle said the ANU's ''pollen calendar'' would help people predict the type and amount of pollen in the air at different times of the year.Hughes pharmacist Peter Holder said a mixture of tree and grass pollen was contributing to the problem.
''Some of the other tree pollen is quite small so they're quite insidious,'' he said.
There had been a rise in sales of hay fever medication such as antihistamines and nasal sprays in the past month. Mr Holder said hay fever sufferers should stay indoors during windy days or early in the day.