Northern Tasmania hardest hit by particularly intense hayfever season

HAYFEVER sufferers could be sneezing and sniffling for some time to come, with the season getting longer and more intense, says a leading Tasmanian allergy specialist.

Air quality expert Dr Fay Johnston, from the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, among the azaleas at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

HAYFEVER sufferers could be sneezing and sniffling for some time to come, with the season getting longer and more intense, says a leading Tasmanian allergy specialist.

About 70,000 Tasmanians suffer from hayfever. Thanks to the AirRater project developed in the state last year, Tasmania has the most comprehensive monitoring system in Australia.

Sense-T, a collaboration ­between the University of Tasmania, CSIRO and the State Government, released its AirRater smart phone app a year ago.

The app is fed by Bureau of Meteorology air temperature sensors, Environment Protection Agency smoke pollution sensors, plus new pollen and biological particle detectors in six locations.

AirRater project leader Fay Johnston, from the University of Tasmania’s Menzies Institute for Medical Research, said the start of hayfever season in Tasmania this year had crept up to August.

“Pollen seasons are often starting earlier, lasting longer and more intense. It will likely be an increasing problem,” Dr Johnston said.

Dr Johnston said even with a high level of detail on pollen seasons, it was still hard to predict the season.

“It tends to be much more severe in the northern part of the state because of the types of trees that were planted, a lot more pasture in the area so they have a far higher grass pollen count,” she said.

“Northern Tassie could be in for a big hayfever season.”

Originally published as Northern Tasmania hardest hit by particularly intense hayfever season