It's already blooming

Tough times for pollen allergy sufferers for the first time

Snowdrops can already be seen. (symbolic image)(Bild: Silvia Jörg)

Spring is approaching with giant strides. The hazel blossom reaches its annual peak this week and it remains warm and dry. This has caused problems for allergy sufferers in particular. Clouds will only arrive after the weekend, bringing precipitation and even snow.

Dream weather is on the cards! Spring offers a glimpse of the warm season with bright blue skies, sunshine and only light clouds. "Up to and including Sunday, it will remain as beautiful as in the past few days. The sun has now reached half its strength," says Alexander Ohms from GeoSphere Austria. "On top of that, mild and foehn-like air from the Mediterranean is ensuring temperatures of around 15 degrees in the afternoons. At the weekend, it could even be up to 19 or 20 degrees. That's not unusual in March, as the equinox is just two weeks away."

The cold is coming back
So is it time to mothball the thick winter jackets, gloves and hats? No, not at all. Because: "It can still get very cold on clear nights, even down to -8 degrees in some places," says Ohms. Ski lift operators are also happy about this, as the cold nights are good for the slopes. But the good weather is not an advantage everywhere: the landscape is becoming increasingly brown and dry.

It is very dry
"The groundwater levels are not yet a problem, because we are living off the floods in September. In the Mühlviertel, the water levels are still slightly high," explains Ohms. However, the top layer of soil is drying out faster and faster. Also because more and more moisture is evaporating due to the warm days. Not only vegetation and farmers, but also pollen allergy sufferers are longing for rain. "The pollen count increases with every warm day, especially hazel and alder are in the air. Hazel pollen is even reaching its annual peak this week," warns the meteorologist. The good news - salvation is near: "At the beginning of next week, the weather will become less stable. As a result, it will be cloudy and rainy," says Ohms. Plants and allergy sufferers will be happy - even if it gets cooler again.