Victoria Braces for Active Hayfever Season After Warm, Wet Winter

Victoria is bracing itself for a more active hayfever season due to the state's warm and wet winter. The conditions have created an ideal environment for tree and grass pollen to thrive, with Melbourne already experiencing high levels of tree pollen.

Tree pollen season is currently underway in Melbourne, with cypress trees responsible for several extreme ratings being issued by air-monitoring services. Grass pollen season is set to begin on October 1.

Last year, Melbourne recorded five extreme grass pollen days and 15 high grass pollen days. With Victoria experiencing its wettest winter in a decade and above-average temperatures, the state is likely to see more extreme grass pollen days this year.

"We are seeing conditions that look more favourable to a larger year than we did last year," said Edwin Lampugnani, CEO of AirWatch, which runs Melbourne Pollen. "That's really driven by the satellite data that we're seeing, with lots of greenness in those north-western pasture lands."

Western and central Victoria are expected to be affected by the more active season, while the Gippsland region is likely to experience a subdued pollen season due to dry conditions.

"In the Gippsland region, we are seeing dry conditions and the prediction is that we are going to have lower amounts of rainfall in that area, and so for the Gippsland area we're expecting a subdued pollen season,"

However, there is hope that the current El Niño weather pattern affecting Australia could lead to a shorter hayfever season.

"We're not going to be having those wet summers," said Cenk Suphioglu, a professor of biomedical science at Deakin University. "Those grass, with the recurring heat, will essentially dry them up and desiccate them so … the season is short."

Melbourne has been dubbed the world's hayfever capital due to its geography and climate, including wind patterns that carry pollen from farmlands to the city.

"We have this large body of water in our bay," Professor Suphioglu said. "As the pollen is travelling over the water, if they then suddenly settle on top of the water, it's going to be a water filtration effect."

Hayfever symptoms include sneezing, coughing, and an itchy nose, eyes, and throat. Medical experts recommend antihistamine tablets for mild symptoms, while more moderate cases may require a nasal spray or eye drops.

Those with severe symptoms can speak to their doctor about desensitisation immunotherapy. Under certain conditions, hayfever sufferers can experience respiratory distress, known as thunderstorm asthma.

"Thunderstorm asthma is a particular condition that occurs when certain types of storms, combined with very high or extreme levels of grass pollen, occur simultaneously," Dr Lampugnani said.

The health department issues thunderstorm asthma forecasts, which will begin next week, coinciding with the grass pollen season. Residents are advised to prepare by having an asthma action plan in place and speaking to their GP about treating their condition.

This comes as the state prepares to mark the 10th anniversary of Melbourne's thunderstorm asthma event that killed nine people and forced thousands to seek urgent medical help.