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Today โ€” 16 April 2025NPR Topics: Environment
Yesterday โ€” 15 April 2025NPR Topics: Environment

Spring allergies are in bloom. Here's why and what to do about it

15 April 2025 at 07:00
Ragweed, seen here, can trigger allergies for some people. Ragweed is common in the fall. Research has found that the window for seasonal allergies is getting longer.

Plants are blooming right now โ€“ and so are people's allergies. And if it feels like those pesky symptoms are getting worse ... you're probably right. Wednesday, a review published in the journal The Laryngoscope looked at the link between climate change and increasing rates of allergic rhinitis, or hay fever. So today, we turn back to a classic Short Wave episode from Brit Hanson and Maddie Sofia, who spoke to allergy expert Dr. Juanita Mora about some quick tips for managing seasonal allergies.

Want more of the science behind your health questions? Send us an email at shortwave@npr.org.

Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at
plus.npr.org/shortwave.

(Image credit: Roy Morsch)

Before yesterdayNPR Topics: Environment

Why so many tornadoes hit tornado alley

2 April 2025 at 07:00
Tornados have been spotted on every continent except Antarctica, but tornado alley has far more twisters than other spots on the globe.

Each year, the United States has about 1,200 tornadoes. Many of them happen in tornado alley, a very broad swath of the U.S. that shifts seasonally. This area gets at least ten times more tornadoes than the rest of the world. Science writer Sushmita Pathak says that huge difference can be chalked up to one word: geography. But there's a slice of South America with similar geographical features that gets comparatively fewer tornadoes, so what gives? Sushmita wades into the research weeds with guest host Berly McCoy, one of Short Wave's producers.

Read Sushmita's full article on tornadoes that she wrote for the publication Eos.

Have other science weather stories you think we should cover on the show? Let us know by emailing shortwave@npr.org!

Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at
plus.npr.org/shortwave.

(Image credit: Connect Images/Jason Persoff Stormdoctor)

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