Forecast

Persistent heat, with grass pollen levels falling slightly!

It will remain hot and dry over the coming days. This would normally create ideal conditions for pollen dispersal. However, during the current heatwave, a slight downward trend in grass pollen levels has been observed. This is due, on the one hand, to the season being well underway, and on the other hand, to the persistent dry weather of recent days and the fact that mowing has already taken place in many areas.

Grass pollen levels are now mainly coming from species found primarily along streams and rivers or in woodland. It can therefore be assumed that levels in urban areas may fall to a moderate level, whilst they remain high in rural areas.

The current weather conditions are also worsening air quality, particularly with regard to ground-level ozone. The combination of poor air quality and high pollen concentrations can significantly exacerbate symptoms for allergy sufferers.

In meadow areas, additional pollen levels from sorrel, foxtail plants and plantain are to be expected.

In Austria’s mountainous regions, the flowering of the green alder is slowly drawing to a close. Its pollen can cause allergic symptoms in people who are sensitised to other alder species or birch trees. 

In eastern and southern Austria, sweet chestnut trees are in bloom and may trigger cross-reactions in people in the vicinity who are sensitised to beech or birch trees.

People who are sensitised to olive tree pollen should also expect low levels of exposure due to low concentrations of privet pollen in the air.

In locations with particularly favourable climatic conditions, the first flowering mugwort plants have already been spotted. This marks the start of the herb pollen season locally. However, it will still be a few weeks before the plants are in full bloom across the region. Locally, however, there may already be low levels of allergic exposure.

The warm, humid weather conditions are leading to an increase in the concentration of fungal spores in the ambient air and, consequently, to a higher level of exposure for those with allergies. 

In addition to the pollen types already mentioned, the pollen spectrum currently also includes pollen from bee balm, nettle family plants, umbellifers, rhododendrons, acid grasses, papilionaceous plants, spirea shrubs, grapevines and cypresses are currently present in the pollen spectrum. However, these pose only a very low allergenic risk.