Issued on September 6, 2024
Ragweed in eastern and south-eastern Styria very troublesome, mugwort again briefly troublesome!
The ragweed season will continue to be a heavy burden until the weekend including Sunday. With strong southeasterly winds, the heavy burden will also lead to problems at night, so despite high temperatures, airing should be avoided. Late-flowering mugwort species can again cause nuisance.
At present, we must reckon with high levels of ragweed (ragweed). In the next few days, air currents from the southeastern neighboring countries will significantly increase the contamination (please pay attention to the weather forecast and wind direction). In southern and lower Styria, pollution is therefore to be expected up to approx. 700 m above sea level. In the worst-case scenario, the Mur and Mürz furrows will also be affected for the first time this year.
In the worst case scenario, exposure to ragweed can be exacerbated by the pollen count of late mugwort species due to the cross-reactivity of the allergens. These include mugwort species such as Kamchatka mugwort, annual mugwort and wormwood mugwort. These species will continue to be a nuisance until Sunday. The late-flowering mugwort species mainly affect ruderal areas, i.e. gravel pits, floodplains with gravel banks, large construction sites or rubble dumps. These areas may still be heavily affected locally - please avoid these areas for another 2-3 weeks.
The main flowering period of the grasses is actually over, but in the next few days there may again be contamination from ornamental grasses and reeds. Reeds, which belong to the sweet grass family, are mainly found along flowing and standing water and can therefore lead to local contamination. These areas should currently be avoided.
Fungal spores continue to cause high levels of contamination. The current weather conditions with sunshine and precipitation favor the production of fungal spores. The use of air purifiers in living areas is particularly recommended for people allergic to fungal spores (but not only for them) in order to at least keep the home free of allergens.
Information on our own behalf:
Ragweed pollen season is already bearing down! If you would like to help us and other allergy sufferers to reduce the burden during this year's season, you can report ragweed populations in your area via the Ragweed Finder app or online at ragweedfinder.at!
Responsible for the content
AZ Pollen Research GmbH
in Kooperation mit dem Institut für Pflanzenwisenschaften der Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz im Auftrag der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung.
Mag. Pramod Harvey, Dr. rer. nat. Johannes M. Bouchal und Dr. med. Markus Berger.
Wetterdaten und Prognosen basierend auf synoptischen Daten: GeoSphere Austria, Bundesanstalt für Geologie, Geophysik, Klimatologie und Meteorologie (ehemals ZAMG).
zum Team