The present study explores the role of the meteorological variability in the pollen production and the timing of the airborne pollen season by analysis of the correlation between precipitation, insolation and temperature and the main standardised airborne pollen parameters of 22 taxa collected at 6 localities in Catalonia (NE Spain). The pollen parameters included in the study were: Annual Pollen Integral and the Start, End and Length of the Main Pollen Season. Considering that the Main Pollen Season of most of the taxa in Catalonia lasts from spring to summer or autumn, correlations between the pollen parameters and winter (from December to March) values of meteorological variables were calculated. Correlations between Monthly Pollen Integral and monthly values of the meteorological variables were also calculated. The results obtained report the synchronism registered in the variations of pollen concentration with precipitation (negative), insolation (positive) and temperature (positive). Temperature was the meteorological variable that showed a greater influence in the pollen production and the timing of the pollen season, being insolation the least one. The Start of the Main Pollen Season was the pollen parameter more correlated with the meteorological variables, especially with winter temperatures.

Using 22 pollen taxa collected at 6 localities in Catalonia (N E Spain) during the period 1994−2011, we show that climate variability associated with Northern Hemisphere teleconnection patterns (North Atlantic Oscillation, Arctic Oscillation and Western Mediterranean Oscillation) affects both seasonal pollen production and the timing of the airborne pollen season. For most of the studied pollen taxa, positive phases of the 3 climatic indices were related to a decrease in the seasonal pollen index and an advance and enlargement of the pollen season. Furthermore, for most taxa, negative phases of the climatic indices were linked to higher pollen production via an increase in rainfall. A clear relationship between climatic indices and the end of the pollen season was not observed. Since pollen parameters correlate more strongly with the Western Mediterranean Oscillation index (WeMOi) than other indices, the WeMOi negative trend observed over the last decades needs to be confirmed to properly identify its effect on ecosystems and public health in the western Mediterranean basin.

Global warming has major impacts on world environment and human activities and it has been of increasing concern by scientific community, governmental agencies, and public. Iraq as one of the Middle East countries is vulnerable to global warming. Recent research works indicated that Iraq is facing an increasing heat waves and more aridity. The aim of this work is to analyze long-term temperature (1900-2017) to determine the warming and cooling phases at Mosul (north), Baghdad (center), Rutba (desert), and Basra (south). Gridded high-resolution monthly means of temperature were obtained from NOAA/ESRL. 30 years (1981-2010) available data from Iraqi Meteorological Organization were used to verify The NOAA/ESRL data. Results of comparisons of the two sets of data indicated that they are highly correlated. Time series analysis showed that the most effect of global warming on Iraq occurred on the decades of 2000’s and 2010’s during summer months (Jun, July, and Aug). The most affected cities were Baghdad and Basra. The less affected city was Rutba. Rutba is less populated town located on the desert near the borders with Jordan. Analysis of temperature decadal anomalies showed that from 1900’s to 1980’s temperature was cooling with anomalies between 0 and -0.5°C (except during 1960’s anomalies were less than +0.25). The results also indicated that during the last three decades (1990’s to 2010’s) temperature was warming and the highest warming (about +1.5 °C) occurred during last eight years (2010-2017) in all four cities.

The phenomenon of dust storms occurs in areas that are characterized by drought, and lack of rainfalls. There are many such areas around the world, including the Middle East in general and large parts of Iraq in particular. In the last week of October 2017, a severe dust storm occurred over Iraq and lasted for four days, the aim of this work was to investigate the synoptic situation of this severe storm using remote sensing data. Data include daily true-color images, Aerosols Index (AI), surface weather maps, and 850 Mb weather maps. These data were analyzed for the four days of the storm (28-31 Oct 2017). The results showed that the storm was triggered on the 28th of October over the northwestern part of Iraq. The weather maps revealed that the cause, development, and transport of this storm were caused by a low-pressure system. This system was developed just over the source area of dust on the first day of the storm, and two ridges in which one has existed over the north of Iran and the second advanced from Egypt during the second day of the storm. The pattern of the trough and two ridges on the second and third day caused the storm to halt over central and southwestern areas of Iraq and the northern border of Saudi Arabia with Iraq. On the fourth day, the storm was moved by the northwesterly wind towards the south of Iraq and Kuwait.