Forecast

Fine weather will once again encourage pollen dispersal this weekend!

The rain that began on Wednesday will continue across much of the country until Thursday, providing temporary relief for allergy sufferers. From Friday, the sun will gradually break through and temperatures will rise again, meaning that rising pollen levels are expected in the second half of the week.

The peak of the ragweed season is now behind us. However, moderate levels are still possible in the east and south of the country, as well as in the Inn Valley and other localised areas. Ragweed pollen is highly allergenic and can trigger significant allergic reactions even in the smallest quantities.

Late-flowering mugwort species, such as annual mugwort and Kamchatka mugwort, may also still cause symptoms locally and, in isolated cases, lead to a further rise in pollen levels. As mugwort and ragweed both belong to the Asteraceae family, cross-reactions are possible.

People with grass pollen allergies may experience renewed symptoms due to the ongoing flowering of reeds and ornamental grasses in urban areas. Particularly in the vicinity of large reed beds, such as those around Lake Neusiedl, grass pollen concentrations may rise significantly once again and, in some cases, reach considerable levels.

Fungal spore levels are slowly decreasing following the rainfall at the start of the week, but may rise again temporarily after Thursday’s showers.

Pollen from stinging nettles, hemp, foxtail plants, plantain and now also ivy is present in the pollen spectrum. However, these pose only a low allergenic risk.