Hay fever sufferers beware, the pollen season is soon upon us. Belgium’s Royal Meteorological Institute (IRM) is launching a new model to indicate the chance of irritation, it announced on Wednesday. It warns that the birch pollen season will start imminently.
The new pollen forecasts are available on the IRM website and mobile app, as well as the website of Belgium’s official pollen monitoring network, AirAllergy. Pollen released in France is likely to float into Belgium at the end of next week.
The new detection system is a collaboration with Belgian health monitoring service Sceinsano. The project aims to accurately predict when allergies will be most severe and create forecast maps for Belgium, much like for the weather.
“When the grass pollen season kicks off, so will the forecast for hay fever. You will be able to visualise the predicted allergy risk in the municipality of your choice via the mobile application and on the IRM website,” IRM announced.
Trees to avoid
Predicting pollen patterns is no easy challenge, the meteorologists explain. Sciensano says that it is a “complex exercise”, for which experts must account for weather forecasts, temperatures, winds, and the biological processes of birches.
“Low windes and high precipitation significantly reduce the amounts of pollen in the air. The condition is exacerbated when the wind is drier and warmer,” the IRM explained. People with pollen intolerance have just over a week before noses might block and eyes start streaming.
Birch trees produce large quantities of pollen and are known to be responsible for the greatest amount of allergies in Belgium. The pollination season follows that of hazelnut and alder trees, which has already begun. Some people may experience allergy symptoms from any of these trees, as their pollen is quite similar.
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In Belgium, it is estimated that roughly one in ten people experience symptoms when exposed to pollen from birch, hazel, or alder trees. Hay fever can cause some real-world issues, besides a simple runny nose. According to Wallonia's agency for road safety, the pollen season coincides with dangerous conditions on our roads.
Driving with allergies can be the same as having consumed two to three glasses of alcohol. The agency asks Belgian sufferers to be careful and to take precautions to reduce their exposure while driving.
