Forecast

The rain brings cooler weather and relief for people with pollen allergies.!

At the start of the week, heavy rain will wash the pollen out of the air, bringing relief to allergy sufferers. As soon as the rain eases off, people who are sensitive to fungal spores will need to brace themselves for higher levels of exposure again. From Wednesday onwards, ragweed and mugwort pollen counts may also start to rise again.

Common mugwort continues to flower in the lowlands of Vorarlberg. Mugwort pollen is highly allergenic, and even a small number of pollen grains – 6 to 10 per cubic metre of breathing air – can cause symptoms. People with sensitivities should avoid dense stands of mugwort, such as those found on railway embankments, rubble sites, roadsides and along the Rhine and the Ill. 

In the Rhine Valley, ragweed is in bloom and causing localised symptoms. 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.

Grass pollen concentrations are now generally at low levels. There are still isolated instances of flowering grasses in forests or at altitudes above 1,500 metres above sea level, which may cause localised pollen levels. Nettles, goosefoot plants and plantains are also still in flower and contribute to the pollen load.

Fungal spores are released in greater quantities, particularly after rainfall. In the coming days, people who are sensitive to fungal spores should therefore expect moderate to high levels of exposure. At higher altitudes, exposure is lower.

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.