Pollen is natural aerosols emitted in solid or liquid particles mixing with atmospheric air. From a chemical point of view, it is a suspension - a heterogeneous mixture. Especially under windy conditions, aerosols are transported and dispersed over large distances due to their incredibly small weight. In fact, the smaller and lighter a pollen grain is, the longer it remains suspended in the air. For instance, a single birch tree can produce up to five million pollen grains per year, each with a diameter of around 20 to 30 micrometres.
Certain weather conditions favour the dispersal of pollen grains or contribute to faster sedimentation, for example, through leaching from the atmosphere. Pollen tends to travel more in warm, dry and windy weather, while during a stretch of cold and wet days, the pollen levels are typically lower since the rain washes the pollen out. This underlines the strong effect of weather on the pollen.
The main problem of pollen dispersal is allergic reactions since contact with certain types of pollen can be an extremely unpleasant experience for individuals, resulting in swollen mucous membranes, irritated eyes, various inflammatory responses, and many other side effects. Most of the pollen sufferers are particularly sensitive to grasses. As wind-blown plants, they can release downright clouds of pollen during their flowering period.
meteoblue can help to recognise pollen in advance with our pollen forecasts. Several weather maps show the distribution and density of pollen grains per cubic meter. However, making such forecasts is highly complex because it requires several input weather variables.
At the moment, birch pollen continues spreading, especially in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and parts of Russia as shown on the first screenshot. In these regions, there is an extensive pollen invasion with many affected areas, as shown on the birch pollen weather map. Meanwhile, the density of grass pollen (second screenshot) is lower but not insignificant. There are also accumulations with elevated concentrations, especially in the South of Spain and parts of Italy. In this region, there is additionally also a high concentration of olive pollen (third screenshot).
You can also analyse the pollen conditions specifically for your location with our Air Quality & Pollen forecast diagram summarising the concentrations of the different pollen types in one simple diagram, as shown in the example for Madrid.
Due to the mostly spring-like weather in Europe, the current time is ideal for the pollen count.
