Allergy capitals of Australia
By total grass pollen, Brisbane has Australia's biggest season. Melbourne has the sharpest one: a single spring peak with very high days. Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne have smaller season totals than Brisbane but still many High days.
What the monitoring shows
| City | What stands out | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Brisbane | Highest annual grass pollen total (median about 4,000 grains); about 32 % of days High or above; several peaks from spring to autumn | Medek et al. 2016; AusPollen 2016-2020 |
| Melbourne | One spring peak; median daily maximum about 231 grains/m³; about 22 % of days High or above | Medek et al. 2016; AusPollen 2016-2020 |
| Sydney, Canberra | Season index 515-3,076 (with Melbourne), against about 9,000-10,500 for Brisbane | AusPollen 2016-2020 |
Grass seasons start later and end earlier the further south a city is (about 6 days per degree of latitude; Medek et al. 2016). Subtropical cities have grasses that flower over a longer warm season, while southern cities have a short, intense spring season.
These are published figures from the studies named, not SkyPollen data.