The spring of 2012 has already begun, with flowers and shrubs such as witch hazel and celandine in full bloom, a Dutch nature group has said.

With temperatures expected to remain well above usual averages for a while, other early spring plants are likely to sprout too, Arnold van Vliet of De Natuurkalender said. In 2011, the so-called early spring started 20 days before the usual date.

The past summer was the second-earliest on record, whith autumn starting two weeks later than usual.
In addition, the past year saw extreme weather conditions, with exceptionally dry periods alternating with exceptionally wet ones. Because of the climate change, animals and plants are said to be displaying unusual behaviour too.

The early onset of spring is bad news for allergy patients, who are likely to be affected by the pollen produced by budding alders and witch hazels.

(cl/rk/gsh)

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