Rather rain than sun
Hay fever occurs in the months when trees, grasses and plants bloom. The sneezing and sniffling starts when the pollen to which you are allergic is floating in the air. Not only the season determines how much trouble you have, but also the weather. In which weather is it better to avoid the outdoors?
The more pollen there is in the air, the more you suffer from your hay fever. Trees, grasses and plants especially produce a lot of pollen on sunny, dry and warm days. You experience the most complaints on beautiful summer days.
It’s smart to put big sunglasses on your nose, whether the sun is shining or not. Preferably glasses that close your eyes all around, so that less pollen gets into your eyes. With a few rules of life you can try to limit your allergic reactions.
Temperature
The temperature partly determines how long the hay fever season lasts. The season usually starts in February and ends in September, peaking in the months of May, June and July. If the winter is mild, the alder and hazel can already bloom in January and the hay fever problems start a lot earlier. If it doesn’t freeze, other spring bloomers also produce pollen earlier than usual.
Plants are less active at low temperatures. As soon as the weather clears up and the sun shines, the local pollen concentration can immediately rise.
Wind
The wind spreads pollen through the air. As a result, the direction from which the wind comes also plays a role in the amount of pollen that floats in the air. Air that has traveled a long way over land usually contains more pollen. Wind coming from the east therefore contains more pollen than wind blowing from the sea. On the coast you can suffer less from hay fever than further inland.
The vertical movements of the air are also important. If there is a strong updraft, the pollen grains are blown up into the air up to a few kilometers high. This lowers the concentration of pollen on the ground. At the end of the afternoon the wind often dies down, so that pollen from higher air layers sinks down and you get more trouble again.
Rain
A rain shower is actually beneficial for people with hay fever. Rain or fog washes the pollen from the air, so that the pollen concentration is much lower for a few hours after a shower. If you want to exercise or walk outside, it is best to do so after it has rained.
On holiday
Do you suffer from hay fever and are you going on holiday? Choose a destination with a favorable climate. In arid regions, the pollen concentration is lower than in regions with a temperate, humid climate. The length of the pollen period therefore differs per country.
You are in the right place on the coast and high in the mountains. There the pollen concentration is lowest and the hay fever season lasts the shortest. In the forest and in nature reserves you will encounter a lot of pollen.
Hay fever weather forecast
Do you want to know whether you should keep your windows closed or whether you can just go outside? Hay fever weather forecasts can be found on various websites and on teletext. Based on the weather forecast and the flowering periods of pollen-producing plants, it is predicted there whether the coming days will be favorable or unfavorable for people with hay fever.
For example, take a look at the pollen information service of the LUMC, on allergy radar or pollen news. The latter website also has an app. Hay fever forecasts can also be read on page 714 of Teletext and can be heard on radio 1, after the 5:30 p.m. news.
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