Four apps to help France's allergy sufferers find local pollen counts
Pollen counts are already triggering alerts in France - here are four free apps to help you plan your days to avoid the worst of the runny-nosed misery
The brief burst of spring that saw France bask in temperatures in the mid-20s may have temporarily disappeared, but it also heralded the start of a period of runny-nosed, itchy-eyed misery for allergy sufferers.
Already this year, pollen counts have reached levels high enough to trigger alerts.
Toulouse-based WeatherForce created a Météo Pollen app, which forecasts pollen levels in individual towns and cities for a period of three days, allowing users to manage their daily lives accordingly.
The app also displays air pollution levels, as well as weather forecasts - and features tips for living with allergies.
France's Réseau National de Surveillance Aérobiologique, which monitors air pollution and pollen levels has developed the Alertes Pollens app, which can be 'personalised' to monitor up levels of up to five different pollens in five different departments. Users can also activate geolocation systems to automatically display information in the immediate vicinity.
Ma Vie d'Allergie is a mobile application that combines pollen and pollution counts with updates and medication reminders. It also offers practical information, tips and advice.
The Pollen app, developed by the Austrian Pollen Information Service at the Medical University of Vienna, offers area-specific three-day pollen forecasts. Its service covers Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, and the UK.
