A Perfect Storm Causes Mass Asthma Outbreak In Melbourne

A ideal storm causing “thunderstorm asthma“, which led to the deaths of at least two people in Melbourne, is possible but unlikely in New Zealand, a weather analyst says.

Asthma and hayfever sufferers can now breathe a sigh of relief with Melbourne’s pollen count forecast to be in the low and moderate range for the rest of the week.

Two people have been relocated for the night after a tree crashed through the roof of their Dunolly home near Bendigo.

Hope Carnevali, 20, died on Monday night while waiting 40 minutes for an ambulance during the unprecedented asthma outbreak.

Health and weather experts believe that her attack was caused after updrafts preceding the storm lifted pollen and spores from the grasslands to the north of the…

“Thunderstorm asthma” triggered more than 1900 calls to Ambulance Victoria on Monday night.

The third victim, 35-year-old Apollo Papadopoulos, is understood to have died after suffering an asthma attack despite frantic efforts by paramedics to revive him. According to these who’ve have observed thunder-storm asthma, it seems just like an experience that is pretty terrible.

Emergency services were swamped by more than 2,000 phone calls – almost seven times the usual number – with people reporting asthma attacks and other respiratory problems. “We need to make people aware of what their own triggers are so they can manage their asthma”.

Health Minister of Victoria Jill Hennessy said that the phenomenon resembled to ‘a bomb that exploded. Most said they hadn’t experienced asthma since childhood.

A storm then allowed strong winds to transport the particles throughout the area rapidly.

She said the Government will also examine the overall response to the event to ensure the state can cope with similar incidents in the future.

“Perfect conditions for thunderstorm asthma in SE Australia today”.

The emergency was so severe that extra staff was called back to hospitals, first responders were called in and the Victoria Police Department took on the job of doing security checks on people.

“No doubt there will be lessons to learn… but every part of our emergency management surge occurred correctly”, she said.

Rye grass is the pollen that causes most cases of hay fever in Melbourne.

After-hours clinics and pharmacies were also swamped with patients as they struggled to treat people with dwindling drug supplies.

He added the amount of pollen in the air on Monday was much higher than usual and that the thunderstorm had made this high count particularly unsafe.

So can people without asthma suffer from “thunderstorm asthma”?