Forecast

A sunny weekend with autumnal temperatures, 

fungal spores remain a problem, whilst ragweed may still be an issue in the east!

Whilst it may still be cloudy on Friday, the weather forecast promises sunshine across the whole of Austria at the weekend. The pollen season is already well advanced across the country, and most herbaceous allergenic plants, such as grasses, stinging nettles, plantains and foxtail plants, have finished pollinating. The peak of the ragweed flowering season has also passed. However, localised pollen dispersal relevant to allergy sufferers may still occur in and around dense stands of ragweed. In eastern Austria, the local pollen load from ragweed may be exacerbated this weekend due to long-distance transport, as westerly winds are prevailing. As is typical for autumn, fungal spore counts also remain at mostly moderate to high levels.

As mentioned, the peak of the ragweed season has already passed. However, moderate levels of ragweed pollen are still possible in the east and south of the country, as well as in the Inn Valley and other local areas where it is found. Ragweed pollen is highly allergenic and can trigger significant allergic reactions even in the smallest quantities.

The favourable weather is encouraging the flowering of annual mugwort and Kamchatka mugwort; both species are late-flowering and are found in eastern Austria or in gardens. Here, they may still cause symptoms locally. As mugwort and ragweed both belong to the Asteraceae family, cross-reactions are possible.

Pollen from cannabis plants, impatiens and ivy are also present in the pollen spectrum. However, they pose only a low allergenic risk.