Could climate change increase the risk of thunderstorm asthma events?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-02-20 09:50

Australia; NSW

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In 2016, a thunderstorm in Melbourne triggered a 672% increase in asthma-related hospital admissions and caused 10 deaths, and Australian researchers say there is a possibility that events like this could increase or become more severe under climate change. The researchers say 'thunderstorm asthma' events occur when thunderstorms with high wind gusts interact with airborne allergens such as grass pollen. They say while it is difficult to establish the role climate change plays in a single event like the 2016 storm, previous research has shown warmer temperatures and increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere can impact the level of pollen and similar allergens in the atmosphere, while variations in weather can also impact or even extend plants' pollen release. The researchers say this makes effectively measuring and communicating pollen levels in the atmosphere important, as well as being better prepared for similar surges of people suffering from asthma under those conditions.