| Summary: | Relationships between temporal variations in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and grass pollen counts at 13 sites in Europe, ranging from Co´rdoba in the south-west and Turku in the north-east, were studied in order to determine spatial differences in the amount of influence exerted by the NAO on the timing and magnitude of grass pollen seasons. There were a number of significant (P\0.05) relationships between the NAO and start dates of the grass pollen season at the 13 pollenmonitoring sites. The strongest associations were generally recorded near to the Atlantic coast. Several significant correlations also existed between winter averages of the NAO and grass pollen season severity. Traditional methods for predicting the start or magnitude of grass pollen seasons have centred on the use of local meteorological observations, but this study has shown the importance of considering large-scale patterns of climate variability like the NAO. There is, therefore, a need for more regional scale studies into the influence of the NAO on grass pollen counts and other allergenic pollen types. The timing and magnitude of grass pollen seasons in Europe may also be affected by other large-scale patterns in atmospheric circulation like the El Nin˜o Southern Oscillation (ENSO), as well as other factors such as variations in total solar irradiance (TSI), the volcanic dust veil index (DVI), and sea surface temperatures (SST).
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