Victoria has raised its thunderstorm asthma warming to “moderate” for the first time since early detection systems were introduced this month.
The state’s health department on Sunday declared “a moderate risk for epidemic thunderstorm asthma” over the next three days in the North Central, Northern Country and Central forecast districts, which includes Melbourne.
Epidemic thunderstorm asthma is thought to be triggered by a unique combination of high grass pollen levels and a certain type of thunderstorm, causing a large number of people to develop asthma symptoms over a short period of time.
“This can become very severe, very quickly and many people may require medical help at the same time,” according to the Victorian emergency services.
The new warning system was introduced in response to the world’s largest epidemic thunderstorm asthma event in Victoria in November 2016, when nine people died and thousands developed breathing difficulties. Nearly 10,000 people presented at hospital emergency departments on 21 and 22 November. Up to 40% had never been diagnosed with asthma.
The warning system uses data from Bureau of Meteorology with pollen data collected by Deakin and Melbourne universities to predict the likelihood that any given thunderstorm will become a thunderstorm asthma event.
People with asthma or undiagnosed asthma are most at risk of thunderstorm asthma, as well as those who suffer from spring hay fever who may or may not have had asthma.
Asthma Australia recommends vulnerable people have an asthma action plan and carry reliever medication.
There have been six epidemic thunderstorm asthma events in Melbourne since 1980. They typically occur during the grass pollen season which is October to December in Victoria.
