A severe thunderstorm triggered an unlikely streak in Australia last week. It resulted in numerous reports of asthma attacks, overcrowded hospitals and the death of at least four people.
Who is to blame for the emergency
The thunderstorm took place on Monday 21 November over Melbourne, Australia's second largest city. Heavy rain is believed to have been soaked in ryegrass pollen. Under the influence of water, it collapsed, spreading tiny dust particles throughout the city. Small particles of it then entered the airways of local residents and provoked asthma attacks, along with other breathing difficulties.
“When ryegrass pollen becomes wet from water or mist, it breaks down into many small pieces, which can then travel through the nasal passages to the lungs. Normal, intact pollen cannot pass through the nasal passages,”said Robin Wilde of the Victoria Asthma Foundation in Australia. - When pollen particles enter the lungs, the allergens they contain trigger an asthma attack. Human bronchi become inflamed and filled with mucus, and the muscles around them become stiff and people cannot breathe,”he explained.
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Previous cases
"Thunderstorm asthma" is a rare occurrence, documented in few scientific studies. Although very rare, Melbourne has had to endure at least three more similar thunderstorms in the past several decades due to the large quantities of ryegrass in the backyards surrounding the city. This phenomenon also occurred earlier in the UK, more specifically in London and Birmingham, in 1994 and 1983, respectively.
Thunderstorm victims
Emergency services received 1,900 emergency phone calls in five hours on Monday night. About 8,500 patients were referred to hospitals over the next two days. Four people died, and three more remained in critical condition. More than nine were in the intensive care unit. Most of the victims suffered from asthma or hay fever.
It was an emergency on an unprecedented scale … It was like dropping 150 bombs right in front of a certain part of metropolitan Melbourne,”said Health Minister Jill Hennessy.
Anna Pismenna
