Forecast

Rising ragweed pollen levels!

The start of the new week will be sunny and mild in most parts of the country. On Tuesday, showers are expected only in the western mountainous regions and in the south of Austria, which may provide some temporary relief for allergy sufferers in those areas. Temperatures are expected to rise as the week progresses, bringing maximum temperatures back above 30 degrees Celsius in the east and further fuelling the ragweed pollen season. In addition, levels of mugwort pollen and fungal spores are also expected to rise.

We are in the middle of the herb pollen season and are currently seeing a mixed picture across Austria. Whilst mugwort flowering is still in full swing in the west of the country, leading to high pollen concentrations in the ambient air, it is already well advanced in eastern Austria and is now only causing significant pollen dispersal locally in areas with dense stands.

In eastern Austria, however, ragweed is already causing significant pollution. As local stands are now in flower, high to very high concentrations may occur, particularly in the early morning. As ragweed and mugwort both belong to the Asteraceae family, cross-reactions are possible.

If you spot ragweed populations whilst out and about, you can report the plant via the Ragweed Finder app or at ragweedfinder.at, thereby informing the relevant authorities in the federal states about the presence of this invasive plant.

Grass pollen now plays only a minor role in Austria. An increase in pollen levels is usually only to be expected in towns and cities due to the flowering of ornamental grasses, as well as near large reed beds, such as those around Lake Neusiedl. However, pollen from foxtail grasses and plantain can still be found in the air and may further exacerbate symptoms for allergy sufferers.

Fungal spore levels remain high.

In addition to the pollen types already mentioned, pollen from stinging nettles, hemp, carnations and cypress trees is currently also present in the pollen spectrum. However, these pose only a very low allergenic risk.