Why September Tested Allergy Sufferers: Almaty’s Allergy Season Wrap-Up

Allergy season in Almaty has drawn to a close, and for many residents, late summer and early autumn proved exceptionally exhausting. Experts from the Almaty Air Initiative foundation analyzed data from Central Asia’s only PollenSense AI allergen sensor for August and September 2026 to find out what caused the surge.

The bottom line: while overall pollen levels remained practically unchanged, the mix became significantly more aggressive.

Pollen did not surge — Its composition shifted

In August and September, the average daily pollen volume held steady at around 61–62 units (a difference of under 2%). However, while August had a relatively mild allergen background, the situation shifted dramatically by early autumn.

The share of late summer’s two strongest allergens — ragweed and mugwort — nearly doubled, jumping from 22% in August to 42% in September.

Ten-Day Pollen Trends (Daily averages in sensor units, ppm³):

 August: A Relentless Chenopod Background

Throughout August, weeds of the chenopod family — goosefoot, orache, and amaranth — served as the main trigger. They dominated the air on 18 out of 31 days. While there were no sharp, extreme spikes, levels stayed flat at around 18 units per day, creating a constant, nagging background irritation.

At the same time, ragweed began gaining traction in the second half of the month: the first clear spike hit on August 16, and by month’s end, its concentration had increased nearly fivefold.

The August calendar clearly illustrates the steady yellow background of chenopods and the first orange high-load days at month’s end, triggered by ragweed.

September: A Double Punch of Ragweed and Mugwort

If symptoms worsened late in the summer, the culprit was two consecutive blooming waves that hit back-to-back with almost no break in between.

• The Ragweed Wave: The primary peak struck on August 26–27 (up to 110 units per day), followed by a second wave over the city from September 6–10. Ragweed was most active during midday — from 10:00 to 13:00 — and largely cleared out of the air after September 20.
• The Mugwort Wave: Starting September 21, mugwort surged rapidly, multiplying its airborne presence sixfold. On September 25, the sensor logged an absolute two-month daily record of 73.3 units.

Mugwort’s biggest challenge was its daily schedule: roughly half of its pollen lingered in the air during the evening, night, and early morning. As a result, allergy sufferers found no relief even while sleeping.

The chart clearly tracks the transition: ragweed’s decline after September 10 gives way to mugwort’s sharp climb during the final ten days of September.

The September calendar highlights a distinct orange block late in the month, driven by mugwort dominance.

Why was this season tougher than usual?

A combination of extreme weather and urban environment factors drove the severe symptoms:

• Record Heat and Early Warmth. According to Kazhydromet, the summer of 2026 was the hottest on record, with temperatures topping +20 °C as early as February. This pulled weed germination forward and extended the overall blooming window.
• Prolonged Drought. Without regular rain to wash it down, pollen remained suspended in the air for days on end, driving up daily inhaled exposure.
• Construction Dust. Extensive work across streets, facades, and storm ditches introduced heavy mineral and soil dust into the air. This mechanically irritated the mucous membranes of the eyes and airways, amplifying reactions even to ordinary pollen counts.

How this data was gathered

Monitoring was carried out using an automated PollenSense optical sensor deployed by the Almaty Air Initiative foundation within the Satpayev – Baitursynov – Timiryazev – Seifullin street grid.

Powered by neural networks and computer vision, the device delivers real-time air analysis, accurately distinguishing plant pollen from mold spores, road dust, and microplastics.