Forecast

The week starts off sunny with high levels of grass pollen, but from Tuesday onwards, rain will bring some relief!

The week begins with pleasant weather conditions. As long as the sun is shining, allergy sufferers should expect high levels of grass pollen. From Tuesday afternoon at the latest, there will be widespread rain across Lower Austria. The rainfall will wash the pollen out of the air, prevent pollen release and bring relief to those with pollen allergies. 

Grass flowering continues to progress across all four regions of Lower Austria. From the Waldviertel to the Schneeberg, couch grass, brome grass, false barley, false oat grass, as well as honey grass, panicle grass, cock's foot grass and foxtail grass are in bloom.

Rye flowering has already passed its peak. As the pollen grains of this cultivated grass are comparatively large and have limited dispersal ability, higher pollen counts are to be expected, particularly in sunny weather in the immediate vicinity of rye fields.

At present, flowering nettles and various species of sorrel and plantain are also contributing to pollen levels.

In the higher elevations of the Most and Industrie districts, green alders continue to flower. As their range lies above 1,000 metres above sea level, this is where the main concentration of pollen will be during sunny spells. As long as the sun is shining, their pollen can be carried by long-distance transport into the lowlands and cause problems there. For allergy sufferers who are sensitised to birch trees, green alder pollen is particularly relevant, as cross-reactions can occur.

In Lower Austria, lime trees are still in bloom. Their flowers are adapted for pollination by insects, which is why their pollen rarely enters the air in significant quantities. However, their intense floral scent can irritate the airways of sensitive individuals.

Allergy-relevant levels of fungal spores are now regularly detected at our monitoring stations. Whilst rain reduces pollen concentrations in the air, offering some relief for allergy sufferers, fungi release large quantities of spores, particularly following rainfall.

In addition to the pollen types already mentioned, pollen from pine, spruce, umbellifers, elder and cypress trees is currently also present in the pollen spectrum. However, these pose only a very low allergenic risk.