Topic analysis

Pollen season in UK and mainland Europe extended by climate breakdown

A new Lancet Countdown report, compiled by 65 researchers from 46 institutions, finds climate breakdown has extended pollen seasons for birch, alder, and olive trees in the UK and mainland Europe by one to two weeks since the 1990s, with pollen severity increasing by 15-20% in parts of the UK, France, Germany, and eastern Europe—worsening hay fever symptoms for tens of millions of people. The report also documents other climate-related health harms like rising heat deaths, expanded dengue transmission potential, and more frequent extreme droughts, while noting progress in reducing pollution-related deaths from transport and electricity generation, and urging urgent action to shift from fossil fuel subsidies to clean energy and adapt health systems.