Forecast

The pollen season picks up speed again after the cold snap!

While there was a brief period of relief last weekend due to the rain and cold, better weather conditions are expected again for the coming Holy Week - and thus also increasing pollen counts.

The main reason for this will be the birch blossom will be primarily responsible. Many birch trees were already ready to flower before the cold snap and can now start releasing pollen quickly as soon as the weather conditions are more favourable again. In thermally favoured locations, it is therefore to be expected that some birches are already in full bloom, while in other places they are only just beginning to release pollen. In the urban area, moderate levels are still to be expected at the beginning of the week, which may rise to high to very high levels over the course of the week.

In addition, the ash tree is also still in bloom and can also lead to high levels of exposure for people who are sensitised to the pollen of the olive tree family.

Allergy sufferers should also refrain from bringing flowering forsythia branches into the living room for decorative purposes in order to keep it as pollen-free as possible. The same applies to the palm catkins that can currently be seen in many places. palm catkinswhich are the flowers of the salwillow. Although their pollen is only classified as moderately allergenic, it is still recommended that these branches are not placed in living spaces in order to avoid additional exposure.

The hornbeam has also reached flowering stage in many Viennese parks and can cause additional stress for people who are sensitised to birch pollen due to cross-reactions.

In addition to the pollen types mentioned, maple, yew, poplar and cypress are also represented in the pollen spectrum. However, they only have a very low potential for causing allergic reactions.