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In November of 2016,a nightmare scenario played across Melbourne,Australia. As severe weather moved into the area,thousands of people struggled to breathe. The city saw a 681% increase in asthma-related hospital admissions,and 10 people died. It was the most severe recorded case of a phenomenon called epidemic thunderstorm asthma.
Epidemic thunderstorm asthma is not fully understood,but it seems to be caused by a particular combination of environmental factors,including a high level of airborne grass pollen and a storm that can burst individual granules of pollen apart into tiny particles so small that they can pass through our noses and upper airways (which can usually catch individual pollen granules) and travel into our lungs,where they are capable of starting asthma attacks.
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