Forecast

Improving weather conditions will lead to higher loads during Holy Week!

While a disturbance at the beginning of the week can still cause low temperatures and precipitation throughout the country, the weather is expected to improve from the middle of the week. A rapid increase in pollen counts can then be expected, especially in the east and south of the country. In the more mountainous west, it may take a little longer for the spring-like weather conditions to prevail.

In the east, we can therefore expect increasing pollution from the birch blossom which will probably already culminate in an initial peak of pollution at thermally favoured locations over the Easter weekend. Moderate to high levels of birch pollen are expected throughout the lowlands of eastern and southern Austria, whereas the plants in the west and at higher altitudes are still less developed and will therefore not yet be affected or only to a small extent.

The development of the domestic ash trees is somewhat more advanced, so intensive allergic exposure to the pollen of this olive tree is to be expected in large parts of Austria under suitable weather conditions.

Allergy sufferers who are sensitised to the pollen of this plant family 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 catkins. These are the flowers of the sal willow. Although their pollen is only classified as moderately allergenic, allergy sufferers are advised not to place these branches in living spaces in order to avoid additional exposure.

The flowering of the hornbeam can further intensify the stress caused by cross-reactions, as the allergens contained in its pollen are very similar to those of birch.

In addition to the pollen types mentioned, maple, yew, poplar, sour grasses and elm are currently also allergens, elmand cypress plants are also represented in the pollen spectrum. However, they only have a very low allergenic potential.