Allergy warning: several areas of france on red alert for ragweed pollen

OVER THREE MILLION PEOPLE IN FRANCE THOUGHT TO BE ALLERGIC TO THIS POLLEN Warnings have been raised in central and south-west France over the presence of ragweed (ambroisie) pollen. The

national pollen watchdog (Réseau National de Surveillance Aérobiologique, RNSA) has placed 12 departments on a red alert, the highest possible, over pollen levels from the plant. The

departments are:  * Creuse * Allier * Nièvre * Saône-et-Loire * Loire * Rhône * Ain * Isère * Drôme * Ardèche * Gard * Vaucluse Elsewhere, yellow-tier warnings are in place across the

south-west for ragweed pollen. It is particularly potent for those who suffer an allergy, and each plant can produce up to a billion pollen grains annually. In the north, a low to medium

presence of a number of other common pollens (grass, mugwort, nettles) has raised overall warning levels.  > Le temps chaud, ensoleillé et venteux favorise la dispersion des > pollens 

d'ambroisie en cette fin août! > Les concentrations sont fortes et le risque d'allergie est élevé > dans 12 départements le long de la vallée du Rhône allant de la > 

Nièvre au Gardhttps://t.co/x8uuZJYofL#pollens > pic.twitter.com/TpzXOKG4GO > — Info pollens (@info_pollens) August 27, 2024 Warm and sunny weather in the Rhône Valley, coupled with the

wind levels, will cause the pollen to spread widely throughout the weekend. Read more: Weather in France August 26 – August 30: Forecast by area this week UP TO 3.5 MILLION ALLERGIC TO

RAGWEED POLLEN  Estimates from the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (Anses) state that between one and 3.5 million people in France are allergic to

ragweed in the country.  The plant comes in around 40 species, and was imported from North America in the 1800s. It has since become common across Europe, particularly in France, where

conditions are ideal for ragweed to proliferate.  It is sometimes classed as an invasive species in Europe. The most common form of ragweed grows as a bush, and reaches around one metre

high. It has green leaves with small flowers, and a reddish stem. It is common across the countryside in rural areas, as well as some urban landscapes.  Read more: Dengue: Anti-mosquito

operation launched in France after new case