22 August 2020
Cape Town Extremely cold weather with heavy rainfall and snow on high-lying ground was experienced in Cape Town for much of this sampling period. Despite the inclement weather cypress, oak, pine, white mulberry, gum and cedar tree pollen types were detected. Just one weed: Artemisia (mugwort or sagebush) was seen. Grasses and moulds were low. […]
15 August 2020
Cape Town Grasses were unchanged at low levels. The tree levels surged as on just one sunny day, 8 August, significant tree pollen levels were recorded for cypress. Other flowering trees included oak, gum, white stinkwood, plane and pine. Weed levels were low and included nettles, Erica and the daisy family. Ascospores increased when sun […]
7 August 2020
Cape Town No grass pollen was detected during this initially cold, dry period even though temperatures increased at the end of the sampling week. Tree pollen levels were generally low, but cypress increased and pine, gum, ash and oak pollen were observed. Weed levels were low and included Erica, Rumex (sorrel), Stoebe (slangbos) and nettle. […]
31 July 2020
Cape Town Low levels of grass, tree and weed pollen were detected during this sampling week but the tree pollen is showing a slight increase especially for cypress and olive. Rhus/Searsia, mulberry and gum were also detected and Erica alone represented the weeds. Moulds were low. Johannesburg Grasses were low to moderate. Trees were high […]
24 July 2020
Cape Town Grass levels were very low during this week of storms and heavy rain. Despite the weather tree pollen increased as cypress began its pollen release season. Small amounts of olive and pine were detected. Weed pollen was low and included the daisy family and nettle. Moulds were very low. Johannesburg Grasses were low. […]
17 July 2020
Cape Town The spore trap failed and so the findings for this week are based on the findings of the previous week and 10 years’ archived data. Tree pollen detected at this time of the year includes low levels of cypress, gum, pine and oak. Grass pollen is very low and weeds are also low […]
4 July 2020
Cape Town Very low levels of grasses, trees, which included cypress and Searsia (Rhus) and weeds (only Stoebe) were detected in this week of low temperatures and gale force north westerly wind, bringing torrential rain. Moulds were low. Johannesburg Grass levels at this site were low to moderate. Tree pollen was sparse as only cypress, […]
26 June 2020
Cape Town Grass and tree levels were very low. Tree types detected included gum and cypress. Winter flowering cypress trees are beginning their pollen release cycle. Weed levels were low, but with more variation as Erica, Stoebe (slangbos an indigenous shrub) the daisy family and waxberry, a large shrub were identified. Mould levels increased to […]
19 June 2020
Cape Town Heavy rain and low temperatures reduced the fungal and pollen levels. Snow lay thickly on some Cape mountains. The few tree pollen types detected were cypress, gum and waxberry. No weed or grass pollen was detected. Moulds were low with small spikes for ascospores when sunshine followed rain. Johannesburg Grass levels were low […]
