Red pollen allergy alerts issued for south and southeast France

Much of the south and southeast of France is on red alert (the highest level) for cypress pollen, the French national air quality network has warned.

In its latest alert (March 7), le Réseau national de surveillance aérobiologique (RNSA) map shows a “line of red” from the Haute-Garonne (Occitanie), across to the Pyrénées-Orientales and Bouches-du-Rhȏne, via Alpes-Maritimes, and Hautes-Alpes.

Corsica and much of the centre-south and east are on yellow alert (second-highest level).

There are also yellow and red alerts for oleander (alder) pollen, with the majority of the country on yellow alert (except Landes, Haute-Garonne, Ariege, Herault, Gard, Vaucluse, Alpes-Maritimes, Seine-Maritime, and Eure, which are on “green (low alert level)”.

The departments on red alert for alder pollen are Lot, Cantal, and Puy-de-Dȏme.

The RNSA advises people who suffer from allergies to:

• Rinse your hair in water at night
• Open windows for at least 10 minutes per day, ideally before sunrise and after sunset
• Avoid aggravating your symptoms with irritants such as tobacco, cleaning products, home sprays or perfumes, incense, or candles
• Avoid aggravating your symptoms outside with activities such as mowing the grass or playing sport outdoors
• Avoid drying your washing outdoors
• Keep windows closed when driving

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