Australians are being urged to watch out for potentially fatal ‘thunderstorm asthma’ with cold fronts on track to travel across the country later this week.
In November 2016 ten Victorians died from the condition, which is at its peak from late spring to early summer.
“We know that half the people that presented in the severe [2016] thunderstorm epidemic had never suffered from asthma before,” Dr Michael Sutherland has told the Today show
“The main symptoms are wheeze, tightness, shortness of breath and cough, and about 20-percent of people have hay fever in Australia so they’re the ones that are at risk of thunderstorm asthma.
“Get a blue reliever puffer like Ventolin, which you can buy over the counter and take four puffs, which will open the airways. If it’s not relieved, you need to call the ambulance and go to hospital.
“There will be less grass pollen, but as we all know, you cannot predict the weather and everyone needs to be prepared.”
The temperature in Adelaide will peak at 36C on Thursday before a cold front arrives late in the day, bringing with it the chance of showers and thunderstorms.
WATCH:
We are being warned to prepare for thunderstorm asthma. #9Today pic.twitter.com/RhkBlUQtuB
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) October 29, 2018