Forecast

High levels of grass pollen!

The weather trend from last weekend is set to continue this week. Summery high-pressure conditions will bring sunshine, but as the day progresses, thick clouds and the odd summer thunderstorm are likely to become increasingly common. The likelihood of thunderstorms will only decrease slightly from Wednesday onwards – but it will remain hot nonetheless. In most parts of the country, high pollen levels are therefore to be expected.

Grass pollen continues to cause high levels of pollen pollution for those with allergies. Only during periods of heavy rain may there be brief relief. The current high pollen levels are mainly caused by couch grass, brome grass, as well as sweet vernal grass, tufted hairgrass, meadow grass, horse tail grass, crested dog’s-tail, tufted dog’s-tail and foxtail grass. In some areas, mowing of certain meadows is already underway. This may lead to peaks in pollen levels in the immediate vicinity. Afterwards, there may be some relief in certain regions.

In meadow areas, additional pollution from sorrel and plantain is still to be expected.

In Austria’s mountainous regions, the flowering of the green alder is causing additional pollen levels. Its pollen can trigger allergic symptoms in people who are sensitised to other alder species or birch trees. During prolonged dry spells, its pollen can be carried by wind to valley floors and low-lying areas, where it can cause pollen levels to rise.

In eastern and southern Austria, sweet chestnut trees are in flower and may trigger cross-reactions in people in the vicinity who are sensitised to beech or birch trees.

In addition, people who are sensitised to pollen from the olive family should expect to encounter even low concentrations of olive pollen in the air in these areas. Privet, which is currently in flower, is also of significance for this group of pollen allergy sufferers.

The tree of heaven has passed its peak flowering period. This is a neophyte from Asia that spreads in nutrient-poor and dry locations such as railway embankments or wasteland. Allergic skin reactions have already been documented.

In locations with particularly favourable climatic conditions, the first flowering specimens of mugwort have already been spotted. This marks the start of the herb pollen season locally. However, it will still be a few weeks before the plants are in full bloom across the board. Locally, however, there may already be low levels of allergic exposure.

The warm, humid weather conditions are leading to a rise in the concentration of fungal spores in the ambient air and, consequently, to a higher level of exposure for those with allergies.

In addition to the pollen types already mentioned, the pollen spectrum currently also includes pollen from bee balm, nettle plants, umbellifers, rhododendrons, acid grasses, papilionaceous plants, spirea shrubs, grapevines and cypresses are currently present in the pollen spectrum. However, these pose only a very low allergenic risk.