The new API aims to provide local forecasts about allergen intensity to help people mitigate their sneezing and watery eyes.
Google’s Pollen API integrates information from a global pollen index that compares pollen levels from different areas, as well as data about common species of trees, grass, and weeds around the globe. According to a
, they then used “machine learning to determine where specific pollen-producing plants are located. Together with local wind patterns, we can calculate the seasonality and daily amount of pollen grains and predict how the pollen will spread.”to further explain that the model “calculates the seasonality and daily amount of pollen grains on a 1×1 km2 grid in over 65 countries worldwide, supporting an up to 5-day forecast, 3 plant types, and 15 different plant species.