What is it about?
This study examines how climate and weather conditions have influenced airborne pollen in Barcelona over 31 years (1994–2024). We analysed long-term changes in pollen levels and pollen seasons for 24 taxa, together with temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and large-scale climate patterns such as the NAO, AO, WeMO and AMO. We found that trees were generally more responsive to climate variability than shrubs and herbs, while warmer conditions were associated with an earlier pollen season in most taxa.
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Why is it important?
Pollen is an important source of respiratory allergens, and climate change is altering when pollen appears in the air and how much is present. Understanding these changes can help anticipate periods of increased aeroallergen exposure and improve pollen monitoring and public-health planning in Mediterranean cities. Long-term observations are particularly valuable for detecting these changes and understanding how they may evolve under a changing climate.
Perspectives
Continued long-term pollen monitoring will help us understand how pollen responds to a changing climate. Extending this research to other Mediterranean cities and longer time periods could improve our understanding of the interactions between weather, climate variability and pollen. In the longer term, this knowledge may contribute to better pollen forecasting and help cities anticipate periods of increased aeroallergen exposure.
Dr María del Carmen Casas-Castillo
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Climate drivers of airborne pollen variability: 31 years of monitoring in Barcelona (NE Iberian Peninsula), Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, November 2026, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2026.111471.
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