Overview
- After an unusually cold, wet spell kept counts low, the DWD expects high hazel and alder loads from Tuesday and Wednesday, with Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate highlighted.
- Pollen timing is sharply uneven this year: hazel is in full bloom and alder is starting in the southwest, while northern Germany remains far behind, experts report.
- In Berlin and Brandenburg, temperatures rise to double digits and the first noticeable pollen is expected from midweek, according to local forecasts.
- Researchers note hazel pollen has appeared off and on since early December and that only about 10% of alder pollen has flown so far compared with roughly two-thirds by this point two years ago.
- Clinicians advise prompt care and proven remedies—modern antihistamines and intranasal steroids—while scientists warn pollution can intensify pollen potency and expanding species like ragweed may lengthen exposure, with allergy prevalence in Europe projected to grow significantly by mid‑century.