Seasonal allergy sufferers are facing longer and more severe pollen seasons due to rising global temperatures, with experts warning that climate change is also fuelling rare but dangerous 'thunderstorm asthma' events. A catastrophic incident in Melbourne, Australia, in November 2016 saw 10 people die after a thunderstorm broke pollen particles into tiny fragments, triggering widespread breathing difficulties.
On 21 November 2016, emergency services in Melbourne were overwhelmed as thousands of people struggled to breathe. Hospitals recorded eight times the usual number of respiratory cases, and nearly ten times the typical asthma admissions. Victims included a 20-year-old law student who died on her lawn waiting for an ambulance. The event was later identified as a massive case of thunderstorm asthma, where storms fragment pollen, releasing proteins that can cause allergic reactions even in those without prior asthma.
Paul Beggs, an environmental health scientist at Macquarie University, described the incident as 'unprecedented and catastrophic'. His 2024 research links such events to climate change, which is extending pollen seasons and increasing pollen production. 'Climate change is leading to greater amounts of pollen in the atmosphere, changing seasonality and the types of pollen we are exposed to,' he said.
In the US, pollen levels this year are predicted to exceed historical averages across 39 states, with experts warning of worsening trends. Thunderstorm asthma has also been recorded in Birmingham, UK, and Atlanta, US, though it remains rare. Climate change may increase its frequency by prolonging pollen seasons and intensifying storms.
Pollen, essential for plant reproduction, triggers hay fever when the immune system mistakenly treats it as harmful. Symptoms include runny nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing, with severe cases causing airway inflammation and breathing difficulties. As temperatures rise, scientists expect more people to suffer from seasonal allergies over longer periods with more intense symptoms.
