Brits visiting Spain have been warned to bring their allergy medication amid a surge in pollen that is set to worsen in the second half of May.
Across Andalucia, which includes major holiday destinations like the Costa del Sol, olea pollen, which comes from olive trees, has been wreaking havoc on allergy sufferers for the past few weeks.
As one of the world’s leading olive oil producers, the southernmost region of Andalucia has well over 70 million olive trees – producing a substantial amount of airborne pollen.
While levels are typically at their highest in May, this year they are exceptionally higher following unusually wet weather that has favoured increased pollination.
Experts at the El Tiempo weather service have placed Malaga province and almost the entire of Andalucia under a red alert for olive pollen over the next few days.
One Brit taking to a Costa del Sol Facebook forum today wrote: ‘Wow the pollen… So bad I’m on an inhaler now and really strong medication, lots of people suffering right now.
‘If you’re coming over here and have a pollen allergy, bring some medication. Generally May is the worst month, so it’s not forever though.’
The olive pollen will maintain high levels in several provinces in Andalucia throughout May, although it is expected to decline in some areas, especially in coastal regions.
However, grass pollen, the most commen allergen behind so-called hayfever, will reach its highest level in the second half of the month.
The warning comes from comments made to Europa Press by Pilar Lara, an allergist at the Virgen Macaren Hospital in Sevilla, and Ignacio Garcia, head of the Allergy Unit at Quironsalud Cordoba Hospital.
They said the provinces of Sevilla, Cordoba and Jaen will be hardest hit by both grass and olive pollen ‘due to the widespread distribution of these plants in their territory.’
Lara said the most common allergens on the coasts of Huelva, Cadiz, Malaga, Granada and Almeria are house dust mites and ‘humidity-related fungi’, as this is where they enjoy the ‘climatic conditions ideal for growth.’
But Garcia warned pollen counts can vary on a local level, with winds blowing olive pollen from inland areas down to the coasts.
He said the pollen from olive trees is most prevalent in Cordoba, Jaen, Granada, Sevilla, parts of Almeria and Malaga and even parts of Huelva and Cadiz.
Dr Lara explained that increased rainfall during the start of the year, especially in April and May, is behind a surge in the pollen count.
She said: ‘Our climate is a little different, very variable, and in recent years it has also been somewhat unusual due to the increased rainfall, and this is favouring the growth of all plants so that once the rainfall begins and sunny days with high temperatures appear, pollination is favored.’
