Pollen and allergies — Cagliari
Cagliari opens onto its gulf, capital of a Sardinia that faces both the sea and the Campidano, the broad plain running toward Oristano between hills and lagoons. Mild winters shorten the plants' rest: grasses can start earlier than on the mainland, and scirocco days bring warm air and Saharan dust that weigh on anyone who breathes. Olive groves, Mediterranean scrub and coastal meadows complete the vegetation around the city.
Periods and allergens to watch
- Late winter and spring: with such mild winters, grasses in meadows and margins can start ahead of the mainland.
- Spring: olive comes into play on the hills and farmland of the surrounding territory, alongside spontaneous vegetation.
- Summer: drought and ventilation lower urban peaks, but uncultivated ground and roadside margins stay active.
- Late summer: mugwort and ragweed appear in the modeled data, though their local presence is modest compared with northern Italy.
Cagliari uses CAMS through Open-Meteo. Concentrations are modeled, not measured locally by this service, at approximately 11 km resolution. The forecast displays alder, birch, grasses, mugwort, olive and ragweed; it does not automatically cover parietaria or every regional species.
The scirocco is the factor that changes the day: with southerly winds pollen can arrive together with Saharan dust and a sudden jump in temperature, while the gulf breeze renews the air along the Poetto seafront. A trip toward the Molentargius lagoon or into the Campidano may not match the city-centre value. Treat the model as a guide for the area and check real conditions before spending a long time outdoors.