If your eyes have started watering and your nose itching, you're probably someone who's used to having hayfever.
What you might not be used to is having it in August.
Experts are warning an early onset of spring is causing pollen to spread like crazy.
"We've got flowers that are out that aren't usually out," says Mark Dixon, CEO of Allergy New Zealand.
"The biological pattern's been disrupted this year with the chopping and changing of warm and cold."
And several pictures taken from a helicopter flying over a pine forest near Whanganui show how thick the release of pollen can be.
"We had a mild few weeks and we haven't had too much wind, and it hasn't been too bad," says Metservice communications meterologist Lisa Murray.
"But now the wind is picking up and it's really picking up that pollen, and people are really starting to notice it."
Especially those allergic to grass seed.
"We're surrounded by grass and trees, it's a beautiful country - the downside is that people who suffer from hayfever is that you can't avoid it," says Mr Dixon.
That's because wind-born pollen can travel up to 4000km - twice the length of New Zealand.
"In the botanic gardens, you can actually see the pollen coming out of the pine trees with those wind gusts, like a puff of smoke coming out," says Ms Murray.
The pollen season will increase through September and October, however it should be kicked out by the end of November.
Newshub.
