Forecast

The main grass pollen season is over, but plantain is now causing additional problems!

In the valleys and basins of Carinthia, the peak grass pollen season has now ended for this growing year. Higher levels of grass pollen are now only likely to cause allergic symptoms in very limited local areas. Locations with increased grass pollen counts include, for example, vegetation strips along forest tracks, streams and rivers, as well as fallow meadows and alpine pastures. However, the dry weather of recent weeks has meant that grass growth on alpine pastures is very poor this year.
Urban areas are only affected to a very limited extent by this locally increased grass pollen count.

People who are sensitive to grass pollen should be aware of flowering maize fields. Maize pollen is among the largest in the plant kingdom and can only be carried by the wind over short distances – which is why higher levels of maize pollen are only found in the immediate vicinity of maize crops.

In areas with rough pasture, increased allergic exposure may occur due to the release of pollen from ribwort plantain, and in weedy areas due to the release of pollen from broad-leaved plantain.
Pollen release from stinging nettles continues at moderately high levels.

Other pollen types of minor allergenic significance come from large-leaved sorrel species, amaranth species and various goosefoot species.

An increase in pollen count from mugwort, which is of significant allergenic importance, is not expected until towards the end of July.

Dr Helmut Zwander