In summer, pollen is a problem for many people. The DWD has now declared the highest pollen warning level for grasses. Allergy sufferers need to be particularly careful here.
Kassel – Although there will be many hours of sunshine in June 2023, allergy sufferers will not necessarily be able to enjoy the good weather. During this time, a lot of pollen flies around and causes runny noses and watery eyes of allergy sufferers. In which regions are they particularly affected?
Pollen count in Germany – German Weather Service warns allergy sufferers
More than 20 million people in Germany are allergic to pollen – and the trend is rising. The German Weather Service (DWD) shows on a map of Germany in which regions the eight allergologically most important pollen in Germany occur in a particularly high concentration. These pollens are hazel, alder, ash, birch, sweet grasses, rye, mugwort and ragweed. The intensity of the load is displayed on the map from "high" to "none".
Pollen allergy sufferers have little to laugh about in summer – in June, the DWD warns throughout Germany above all of grasses. © imagebroker/Imago (symbolic image)
The forecast for June 8, 2023 and the following days looks bleak for some pollen allergy sufferers. The DWD map is bathed in a deep red for "grasses" - this means the highest intensity of pollen. Allergy sufferers can select a type on the map and see which pollen is currently particularly common in their region and prepare accordingly. Grasses, where the highest pollen concentration is usually measured between the end of May and the end of July, are not the only type of pollen that is currently causing problems.
These pollen types are currently causing problems for allergy sufferers
In addition to grasses, rye is currently also measured at a particularly high intensity. This applies above all to more northern regions in Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg and Berlin. In the west and in central Germany, the pollen load with rye is already lower, in the south there is no or only a low load intensity. The other types of pollen are more important for allergy sufferers in other months.
When is the pollen intensity of different types highest?
- Hazel: February to April
- Alder: February to March
- Ash: April
- Birch: April to May
- Grasses: June to August
- Rye: June to July
- Mugwort: July to August
- Ambrosia: August to September
Pollen allergy sufferers experience symptoms such as runny nose, conjunctivitis, inflammation of the nasal mucosa or even asthma in appropriate months. Cross-reactions with food are also not uncommon. Affected people should always inform themselves about the pollen load in their region on a daily basis. Another problem for allergy sufferers is that medication for hay fever is becoming increasingly scarce, according to the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices.