It’s another year to fly! Catkin early warning map These places will enter a period of high incidence.
China Weather Network News "Dissolve the sunny harbor and the spring glow, asparagus is born in Liu Xufei." In April, many places in the north are blooming in spring, enjoying the beautiful spring, but also welcoming the season when catkins break out in a year. Flying "snow" all over the sky seems romantic, but it is often miserable. China Weather Network specially launched the early warning map of catkins in 2023 to see when your family will enter the high-incidence period. There is also a guide to the healthy travel protection of willow catkins to help you spend the flying catkins period safely.
Beijing, Tianjin and other places are about to enter the high incidence period of willow catkins. Why do they fly more catkins in spring?
In the middle and late March of this year, most of the northern part experienced a great recovery, and the temperature in North China and Huanghuai was higher than normal. As of April 7th, the catkins in most parts of Henan, Shandong, central and southern Hebei, Beijing and other places have been floating, and Jinan and Shijiazhuang began to float as early as late March.
At present, the area with high incidence of flying floc will continue to advance northward. Hu Xiao, chief meteorologist of China Weather Network, said that the southern part of Beijing, the central city, Tianjin, Shandong Peninsula and southwestern part of the mountain will enter the high-incidence period of willow catkins before April 15th, and the mountainous areas such as northern Hebei and central and northern Shanxi will not see "flying catkins like snow" until late April. In big cities, Beijing and Tianjin entered a period of high incidence of flying flocs on the 9th, and Taiyuan may welcome flying flocs around the 13th.
Since April every year, catkins in the northern region have entered a period of high incidence. So, why do you fly more at this time? Hu Xiao introduced that the flying of catkins is closely related to the weather. Rising temperature, sufficient sunlight, low air humidity and certain wind speed are all conducive to the flying of catkins.
Taking Populus tomentosa as an example, when the average temperature in North China is higher than 0℃, Populus tomentosa can grow and develop normally. Add up these values over 0℃, and when the total reaches 480℃ and the average daily temperature reaches 14℃, Populus tomentosa begins to float. In North China, this standard is often reached around the first ten days of April, and poplars are flying. After more than 10 days of flying catkins, catkins will also enter the flying period.
Why are the areas affected by catkins floating mainly concentrated in North China and Huanghuai? Willow has strong adaptability, alkali resistance and drought resistance, easy survival, fast growth and long greening time in northern China, and is widely planted in North China and Huanghuai area. However, the willow tree is dioecious, and the flying catkins are the seeds of the female plant. Spring is the time for female plants to reproduce. When the small balls on their inflorescences mature, they burst to expose cotton-like flocs. When these seeds are propagated by wind, they will show a scene of "snow falling all over the sky" in the local area.
It’s another spring when it snows. Please keep this guide to the protection of catkins.
Warm and dry weather is beneficial to catkins flying, while rainy and humid air is an effective way to restrain catkins flying. At present, North China and Huanghuai areas are in the period of "spring rain is as expensive as oil", and it will still be sunny in the next five days. Without a hearty rain, the temperature will slowly rise, and catkins will continue to fly, making it difficult to get better.
In the future, friends in North China and Huanghuai will have to face the troubles caused by flying flocs, especially allergic people who need to go out should pay attention to choosing time and equipment.
In terms of time, try to avoid going out during the high-incidence period of flying catkins from 10 am to 16 pm, and choose to go out in the morning, evening or after rain when catkins appear less. If possible, it is the best choice for allergic people to stay indoors and close the doors and windows.
If you need to go out, try to wear long-sleeved trousers and wear a mask and glasses. Long-sleeved trousers can prevent bare skin from touching the flying flocks, and you should wash your hands and face in time when you go out, and clean up the flying flocks on your clothes; If the skin is stained with flying flocs, wash it with warm water in time, which will help to prevent allergies or alleviate allergic symptoms. If the skin itching, erythema, papules and other symptoms are serious, you should seek medical advice in time. If the flying floc accidentally enters the eye, remember not to rub it by hand, otherwise it will easily cut the cornea and increase the chance of infection. The correct way is to wash it with clear water. If the flying floc enters the deep layer of the eye, it is recommended to go to the hospital in time.
In addition, the scattered catkins may also bring safety hazards in travel. Poplar catkins have high carbon fiber content, low ignition point and fluffy, which are easy to be ignited. When encountering an open flame, the burning speed will be very fast, and if encountering windy weather, it will easily lead to a fire. Be careful with fire on the day of flying catkins, and don’t throw cigarette butts around. The sanitation department should spray water to clean the falling catkins in time to avoid fire. (Planning/Du Bingbing Design/Chen Yujie Data Support/Hu Xiao)