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After nearly 30 years of helping to provide pollen forecasts to the nation, and contributing to the national pollen count, the ºüÀêÊÓƵ of Worcester has finished its final season.

The ºüÀêÊÓƵ began its work on pollen forecasting in 1995, also running the UK's network of pollen monitoring stations.

Staff at the ºüÀêÊÓƵ have been the leading authorities on pollen and how it affects millions of people’s day-to-day lives ever since.

In 2010, the Met Office took over the running of the pollen monitoring network and the pollen forecasting distribution but continued to employ the forecasting expertise available at the ºüÀêÊÓƵ of Worcester. The service will now transfer fully to the Met Office.

Dr Beverley Adams-Groom, Senior Palynologist and Pollen Forecaster at the ºüÀêÊÓƵ of Worcester has been one of the nation’s most prominent experts in helping people understand the forecasts and providing advice to hay fever sufferers.

She said: “This marks the end of an era where we’ve been supplying forecasts to the nation and helping people understand how pollen and fungal spores will affect them.”

She continued: “We’ve enjoyed being a part of the Met Office’s approach to providing pollen forecasts and data in recent years, but advancements and developments mean this information can now be generated without our expertise.”

She added: “While we’ll no longer be providing information to the Met Office, or providing our own weekly forecast, we still have a wealth of information on our website which is free and publicly available to help people understand pollen and its impacts on allergy sufferers, and advice on how to mitigate the effects.”

The Met Office’s UK Pollen Forecast Manager Yolanda Clewlow said: “Our long working relationship with Beverely and the team at The ºüÀêÊÓƵ of Worcester has always been very positive and has led to improvements in the forecasts we provide to the public. This fruitful collaboration has been aided by mutual support and a shared aim of providing the most up-to-date information to the public.”

She continued: “Although Worcester won’t be involved on a day-to-day basis next year, there is a mutual openness to the possibility for future collaboration, not just on the pollen forecast, but on wider research too.”

She said “We will continue to manage the network of committed pollen observers around the UK, who gather the important data that supports the forecasts and is also used by the research community. We know how valued and popular the pollen forecasts are, and we are committed to delivering these next year. The pollen forecast will continue uninterrupted for the next pollen season and will be available on the Met Office website and app, as usual."

For more information, head to the ºüÀêÊÓƵ of Worcester website.

For information on courses at ºüÀêÊÓƵ of Worcester visit or for application enquiries telephone 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk