France on alert for high grass pollen levels

Air monitoring network le Réseau National de Surveillance Aérobiologique (RNSA) issued the alert on Friday May 31, and it is expected to remain in place until June 6.

The very high risk alert concerns the Gers, Lot-et-Garonne, Lot, Maine-et-Loire, the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, the Tarn-et-Garonne and the Vendée.

The Paris region and the south of France (except Corsica) are also at “heightened risk”.

At least one in three people in France is said to suffer from allergies due to pollen, with the number expected to rise to one in two by 2050.

The RNSA defines itself as studying “the contents of biological particles in the air that could have an impact on the allergy risk for the population”. It said that the current weather conditions are “very favourable to the dispersion of high levels of grass pollen in the air”.

It also issued a warning for those who are allergic to olive tree and oak tree pollen, especially in the south.

The RNSA recommends that those who are very allergic should:

• Wash their hair at night time
• Air out the house for at least 10 minutes per day
• Avoid adding other irritants such as burning tobacco, incense, or candles
• Avoid outdoors activities such as mowing the lawn, gardening, or high-energy sports
• Avoid drying clothes outside (as they can collect pollen)
• Keep windows closed when driving