A dangerous phenomenon is back - "It started out of the blue"

It is a recurring phenomenon. And that sometimes leads to numerous fire service missions. Now the time has come again. A video shows the danger.

• White pompoms cover the streets in many places in Germany this May. 
• Is there now a late onset of winter? No!
• White pompoms are a very dangerous phenomenon: poplar seeds .

Munich - The snow was hardly visible in the winter months of last year. Children are all the more enthusiastic about the current sight of nature  : white streets, fields and meadows can be seen in many places. Different, apparently current photos have also appeared on Instagram * and Twitter.

Check out this post on Instagram

Summer snow! . . . #zitterpappel #summer snow #pappelflaum #popel Cotton #ichliebedienatur # spring #maripartum

A post shared by Marina (@ mari.partum) on May 7, 2020 at 9:11 am PDT

Check out this post on Instagram

Zitterpappelschnee #erle #nature #naturephotography #schneeimsommer #zitterpappel #hiking #wandern #wanderlust

A post shared by Sonja Bachmayer (@sibirskypunk) on Apr 24, 2020 at 9:47 am PDT

How I hate it ... pic.twitter.com/LVfVWcUSf2

But what might look like thick, white snow at first glance is a very dangerous phenomenon at second glance . 

Strange poplar seed phenomenon can be dangerous - picture shows covered street

The white pompoms are namely the seeds of the aspen . In time for May, the cotton-like bulbs spread throughout nature in many places. Many users also distribute pictures of white splendor on Twitter . For example, this impressive photo is from 2016:

View from the balcony ...... very wintry at 22 ° ❄ # Poplar seeds #Berlin pic.twitter.com/2R3A6Amm2Y

But what looks pretty wintry and beautiful at first glance can have a really dangerous side effect at second glance.

According to welt.de, 150 firefighting missions occurred in Berlin alone in 42 hours during a single weekend in 2017. "That's a lot," said the fire department spokesman at the time . In ten cases, the fires spread. "The fire arises from the inattentiveness of people who simply flip their butts away." Some of the pompoms were also set on fire.

Danger looms: Poplar seeds are highly flammable

Particularly dangerous: in 2017 there was a fire on the TU Berlin site near a compressed gas tank. Fortunately, nothing else happened.

The poplar seeds are not only fluffy, they also burn as well as cotton wool. The extremely flammable bulbs burn like hell, and not just with a carelessly thrown away cigarette. Even a shard or dry soil can quickly trigger a dangerous chain reaction.  

How well poplar seeds burn can be seen in this video, which is now circulating on the Internet in May 2020 and recorded in the Spanish city of Calahorra:

This Freiburg resident recorded the phenomenon at the beginning of May 2020 - and said that the "snowstorm" had come out of the blue. Sure, after all, you don't need clouds to rain the pompom. Incidentally, the term "poplar pollen" is not entirely correct - they are poplar seeds.

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You know you're Freiburg, when "snow" doesn't surprise you with poplar pollen above 20 degrees - always a highlight when a "blizzard" starts out of the blue "Snow" with 20 degrees it's always a highlight when the air is full with poplar pollen - like a heavy snow storm. We have this every year and I love it. Kids love to try to catch the flying pollen #larveneltern #familienblog #blogger #plushie #plushieofinstagram #plushiesofgermany #authorsofinstagram #authorssupportingauthors #writerssupportingwriters #writingcommunity #plushiesoninstagram #bookstagram #writersofinstagram20 # theommunityhappyplaypainting # # #happyplaying likesnow #mytown #corona #coronavirus #stayhome #freiburgimbreisgau #freiburg

A post shared by @ dietausendsasserin on May 9, 2020 at 12:53 PM PDT

Poplar seed phenomenon occurs throughout Germany - allergy sufferers can be safe

Allergy sufferers do not have to worry about the poplar seeds. Unlike the pollen of the aspen, the seeds trigger almost no allergic reactions and are often even used as pillow fillings. 

Another observation also raises questions. Why do you strap a 1.80 meter soft toy behind you on a motorcycle? The story behind this photo amuses users on Facebook.

A walker in North Rhine-Westphalia made a find under a tarp in the forest.

* tz.de is part of the Ippen-Digital editors network.