Pollen allergies: 90 French departments placed on red alert

The pollens are back. And almost the entire hexagon is affected by the rise of pollen, especially grasses, a real nightmare of allergy sufferers. 90 departments were indeed placed on red alert this Friday, May 26 by the National Aerobolical Surveillance Network (RNSA). On the map, the few departments that are not in red - namely mainly in the West including Finistère, Morbihan, Ille-et-Vilaine, Mayenne, Orne and Sarthe - are still colored yellow.

First source of respiratory allergy

"Grass pollens are increasing in power from the south to the north of the country and will affect all France departments this week with a high risk of allergy," writes the RNSA in its note updated on Monday. The culprit? The weather. If the many showers at the beginning of May "may have brought a little respite to allergy sufferers by placing pollen on the ground", they have however "promoted the growth and development of grasses," says the RNSA. The warming mercury and the return of the sun will thus "promote the emission and dispersion of high concentrations of grass pollen in the air".

In France, nearly 25% of people suffer from respiratory allergies, according to the RNSA. The first source is obviously pollen and, among them, grasses are among the most allergenic pollens. To hope for a respite, allergy sufferers will have to rely on the rare stormy showers that will cross the hexagon.