Grim world title: Melbourne is the allergy capital of the world

An expat living in Melbourne has shed light on a little-known record the city holds, but it’s not good news for residents.

An expat living in Melbourne has shed light on a little-known record the city holds, but it’s not good news for residents.

Georgia Davies found herself with a bad case of hay fever for the first time after returning to Australia from six months of travelling, but she couldn’t figure out the source of her sniffles.

The Brit said she had lived in Melbourne for four years but, suddenly, her nose had started “running like a tap”.

Georgia Davies has lived in Melbourne for four years. Picture: Instagram.

Then, a stranger at a cafe noticed her plight and informed her that Melbourne is the allergy capital of the world.

“I Googled it and it’s actually true,” Ms Davies said in a TikTok video.

“If you’re moving to Melbourne, you need to know about this …

“I’ve lived here for four years and only found this out today.

“I’ve never had hay fever in my entire life and I’ve been out of Melbourne for six months travelling.”

She recently returned to Melbourne to a bad case of hay fever. Picture: Instagram.

Ms Davies — or the stranger in the cafe — was correct.

Melbourne is known as the world’s allergy capital, with a pollen count of 50 grains per cubic metre during hay fever season.

At least one in three residents report that they suffer from the allergy, with their condition inflamed by Melbourne’s plant makeup and famously wild weather.

Ms Davies’s return to Melbourne coincided with the start of hay fever season, which runs from October to December, which may have meant she was unusually unaccustomed to the huge amount of pollen floating in the air.

Her 20-second video has been viewed nearly half a million times, with many fellow Melburnians saying they, too, had no idea about their city’s unenviable title.

“OMG did not know this!” one said, while another added: “Makes so much sense now.”

“Lived here all my life and just finding this out,” commented a third.

Originally published as Grim world title: Melbourne is the allergy capital of the world