Richards Bay pollen forecast — Meerensee neighborhood

Updated: 20 September 2026 at 20:27 CEST

Pollen Today

Moderate 45/100

Today (20 September) pollen in Meerensee, Richards Bay is moderate; cypress, mugwort, and nettle are moderate; eucalyptus and mulberry are low.

Pollen Tomorrow

Moderate 34/100

Tomorrow (21 September 2026) cypress remains moderate, eucalyptus remains low, mulberry remains low, mugwort declining, nettle declining.

7-Day Trend

Over the next week eucalyptus, mulberry, and nettle will increase; cypress and mugwort will decrease; grass, oak, and plane will remain stable.

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Pollen Risk

Today - 20 September

Pollen species Level Value
Alder (Alnus)
None
0/100
Birch (Betula)
None
0/100
Hazel (Corylus)
None
0/100
Cypress (Cupressaceae)
Moderate
45/100
Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae)
Low
11/100
Grass (Poaceae)
None
0/100
Oak (Quercus)
None
0/100
Willow (Salicaceae)
None
0/100
Mugwort (Artemisia)
Moderate
31/100
Mulberry (Morus)
Low
21/100
Plane (Platanus)
None
0/100
Nettle (Urtica)
Moderate
30/100

Tomorrow - 21 September

Pollen species Level Value 7-Day Trend
Alder (Alnus)
None
0/100
Birch (Betula)
None
0/100
Hazel (Corylus)
None
0/100
Cypress (Cupressaceae)
Moderate
34/100
Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae)
Low
1/100
Grass (Poaceae)
None
0/100
Oak (Quercus)
None
0/100
Willow (Salicaceae)
None
0/100
Mugwort (Artemisia)
Low
22/100
Mulberry (Morus)
Low
11/100
Plane (Platanus)
None
0/100
Nettle (Urtica)
Low
21/100
ENVIRONMENT & ANALYSIS

Local Environmental Conditions

Meerensee lies roughly 160 km northeast of Durban. Meerensee's plant life leans on subtropical coastal forest and introduced kikuyu grass, with palm trees adding to the mix in older residential streets. Surrounding port and industrial operations contributes to a landscape sustained by consistent warmth and humidity across most of the year, consistent with the broader KwaZulu-Natal coastal belt that shapes daily exposure across the wider coastal district.

Coastal forest and grass dominate the pollen calendar at Meerensee, building from September and extending through the humid summer into February. The district's port and industrial operations shapes some of the local vegetation mix, while onshore breezes keep exposure fairly moderate across the warmer months, a pattern typical of the broader KwaZulu-Natal coastal belt.

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Resource Hub

Air quality for Richards Bay
Pollen forecast neighborhoods 4 neighborhoods

Frequently Asked Questions About Pollen in KwaZulu-Natal

Is pollen high in Richards Bay right now?

On 20 September 2026, overall pollen levels in Richards Bay are moderate. Cypress is the main contributor to airborne pollen, while urtica, artemisia, morus, and myrtle remain at lower levels

Will pollen levels change in Richards Bay tomorrow?

On 21 September 2026, pollen conditions in Richards Bay will be different from today, with cypress at moderate levels, morus at low levels, myrtle at low levels and urtica, artemisia continuing to decline

Is pollen expected to decrease in Richards Bay this week?

According to the five-day outlook, cypress and artemisia pollen levels are expected to gradually decrease, while morus, myrtle, and urtica pollen will increase, suggesting mixed conditions later in the week.

Which pollen types are currently active in Richards Bay?

On 20 September 2026, Cypress is the dominant pollen source in Richards Bay. urtica, artemisia, morus, and myrtle are also present but at lower levels. platanus, grass, and oak are not currently active.

When is pollen season in Richards Bay?
Coastal forest and grass dominate the pollen calendar at Meerensee, building from September and extending through the humid summer into February. The district's port and industrial operations shapes some of the local vegetation mix, while onshore breezes keep exposure fairly moderate across the warmer months, a pattern typical of the broader KwaZulu-Natal coastal belt.
How often is the Richards Bay pollen forecast updated?

The Richards Bay pollen forecast is updated four times daily. See the timestamp below for the most recent update.

Does pollen in Richards Bay come from nearby or far away?

Studies show that most pollen exposure (often 70–90%) comes from nearby sources, such as local trees and vegetation. A good pollen forecast therefore depends on accurately representing local vegetation. Pollen can travel long distances, but this usually matters only early in the season or during specific wind events.

Are pollen levels in Richards Bay based on measurements or forecasts?

Pollen data is often misunderstood. Most "pollen levels" are not real-time measurements, but forecasts.

Direct pollen measurements are typically delayed by 1-2 days because they require manual analysis. To show current conditions in Richards Bay, modern forecasts combine recent measurements, weather data, and information about local vegetation.

This allows us to estimate pollen levels for today and the coming days, not just report the past.

Airmine’s atmospheric monitoring platform was developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team, using satellite and Earth observation technologies to improve emissions monitoring.

Understanding the Scale

The 0–100 scores represent risk levels, not direct measurements of pollen or air pollutant concentrations. Higher scores indicate higher risk. Pollen and air quality use different thresholds.

Pollen

None
0 No or negligible risk of exposure. Pollen/mold exposure is expected to be minimal.
Low
0-25 Low risk of exposure. Small amounts of pollen or mold spores may be present.
Moderate
25-50 Moderate risk of exposure. Pollen/mold exposure is expected to be noticeable.
High
50-75 High risk of exposure. Elevated pollen/mold exposure is expected.
Very High
75-100 Very high risk of exposure. Pollen/mold exposure is expected to be at or near its highest levels.

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Features and forecast availability vary by region. Currently covering Europe, the contiguous US, southern Canada, South Africa, Australia, Indonesia (Java & Bali), Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and the Buenos Aires area.

Developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA) Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS).

Airmine app pollen map

Airmine’s atmospheric monitoring platform was developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team, using satellite and Earth observation technologies to improve emissions monitoring. This page provides the latest public pollen forecast for Richards Bay.

Data provided by Airmine — Last update: 20 September 2026 at 20:27 CEST (Data is updated four times daily.)

Methodology & Technology

Our forecasts utilize high-resolution satellite imagery from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P mission combined with a proprietary network of ground-based IoT sensors. Pollen forecasts are calculated by Airmine using satellites to map local vegetation and determine pollen season onset in a statistical prediction model, updated four times daily.

Unless explicitly made clear, the content on this site has not been paid for by external organisations and is Airmine's sole responsibility.

Disclaimer

The information provided is for environmental awareness only and does not constitute medical advice. Athletes with known respiratory conditions or severe allergies should consult their physician before participating in strenuous outdoor activities based on these forecasts.

Some text on this page may be generated or summarised using artificial intelligence (AI). Wherever possible, AI-generated content is enriched with Airmine's proprietary data to improve its accuracy and relevance. However, AI-generated content may still contain errors, omissions, or inaccuracies.