Overview
- The Lancet Countdown in Europe 2026 report, released Tuesday, finds pollen seasons now start one to two weeks earlier than in the 1990s, extending hay fever symptoms across the continent.
- Researchers observed earlier seasons for birch, alder and olive between 2015 and 2024 compared with 1991–2000, confirming longer exposure to airborne allergens for people with allergic rhinitis.
- The same report flags wider health harms from climate change, estimating about 62,000 heat‑attributable deaths in Europe in 2024 and a 318% rise in heat health warnings since the 1990s, with dengue outbreak risk up 297%.
- Warmer, earlier springs and rising CO2 let plants grow longer and release more pollen, a shift mirrored in U.S. data showing at least 14 more freeze‑free days since 1970, with the Northwest gaining about 31 days.
- UK charities and clinicians warn allergy care is falling behind rising need, noting some of the world’s highest prevalence rates and describing NHS services for allergies as dramatically under‑resourced, while agencies urge simple steps like timing outdoor activity later in the day and keeping windows closed on high‑pollen days.