Forecast

It’s still hot and the mugwort is in bloom!

The second half of the week will also remain dry and sunny in Lower Austria, with maximum daytime temperatures around 35 °C. Mugwort is now in full bloom and the first ragweed plants have started to flower. These will cause moderate to high pollen levels this weekend. Fungal spore levels will also fluctuate between moderate and high over the coming days.

Common mugwort is in full bloom in Lower Austria. As even a small number of pollen grains – 6 to 10 per cubic metre of air – can cause symptoms, the pollen from this composite flower is considered highly allergenic. High pollen concentrations can be reached, particularly in dense stands, such as those found on railway embankments, rubble sites, roadsides and along streams and rivers. 

The main flowering season for grasses has already passed in the Danube region, the Vienna Basin and the Weinviertel. Due to the dry conditions, there is hardly any secondary flowering of grasses, so only low levels of pollen are generally to be expected. In forests and at altitudes above 1,500 metres, isolated grasses may still be in flower and cause localised symptoms. In meadows, stinging nettles, foxtail grasses and plantains continue to flower and cause symptoms.

Ragweed is also growing and sprouting in Lower Austria. The number of flowering plants is increasing, and these are causing the first signs of pollen levels locally. If you spot ragweed populations whilst out and about, please feel free to report them via the citizen science platform ‘Ragweed Finder’. Reports can be submitted either via the website ragweedfinder.at or via the app (for Android and iOS). The reports are checked by experts from the “Ragweed Finder” team, plotted on the ragweed map and forwarded at regular intervals to the relevant authorities in the federal states. These authorities can then use the reports to take further action.

Over the coming days, moderate to high levels of fungal spores are expected across the country. Relief can be found by spending time at higher altitudes, as the concentration of fungal spores decreases significantly with increasing altitude.

In addition to the pollen types already mentioned, pollen from bee balm, hops, hemp and juniper is currently also present in the pollen spectrum. However, these pose only a low allergenic risk.