IT'S the end of an era at Worcester University as it will no longer be providing the pollen forecast to the nation - and there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
The university began its work on pollen forecasting almost 30 years ago in 1995, also running the UK's network of pollen monitoring stations.
Staff at the university 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 Worcester University. The service will now transfer fully to the Met Office.
Dr Beverley Adams-Groom, Worcester University's senior palynologist and pollen forecaster, 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.
"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 University 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.
"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."