North-eastern Spain and France, February 2023
For 8 days, from 16 to 23 February 2023, 72 cities in Spain, France and Portugal had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Pau, New Aquitaine, France: 52.9 µg/m³ on 21 February, about 7.2× its usual 7.3.
Day by day
How it spread
Every city it reached
| City | Days | Highest | Above usual |
|---|---|---|---|
| MarratxíBalearic Islands, Spain | 2 | 39.522 February | 7.9× |
| PauNew Aquitaine, France | 3 | 52.921 February | 7.2× |
| Ribarroja del TuriaValencia, Spain | 2 | 30.823 February | 6.2× |
| LourdesOccitanie, France | 5 | 39.021 February | 6.0× |
| Donostia / San SebastiánBasque Country, Spain | 2 | 36.018 February | 6.0× |
| TudelaNavarre, Spain | 3 | 38.917 February | 5.9× |
| LyonAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France | 1 | 58.013 February | 5.5× |
| Salon-de-ProvenceProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France | 2 | 41.913 February | 5.3× |
| SaguntoValencia, Spain | 1 | 26.923 February | 5.3× |
| Villefranche-sur-SaôneAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France | 1 | 54.513 February | 5.1× |
| NarónGalicia, Spain | 2 | 29.320 February | 5.1× |
| TorreviejaValencia, Spain | 2 | 37.823 February | 5.0× |
| AlgeteMadrid, Spain | 1 | 28.022 February | 4.9× |
| AvignonProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France | 2 | 56.013 February | 4.8× |
| Laudio / LlodioBasque Country, Spain | 3 | 36.122 February | 4.8× |
| AngletNew Aquitaine, France | 1 | 33.918 February | 4.8× |
| DurangoBasque Country, Spain | 3 | 35.819 February | 4.8× |
| MarignaneProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France | 2 | 50.313 February | 4.6× |
| Gasteiz / VitoriaBasque Country, Spain | 4 | 31.622 February | 4.6× |
| MelillaMelilla, Spain | 1 | 28.723 February | 4.5× |
| ArlesProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France | 2 | 50.413 February | 4.5× |
| BurrianaValencia, Spain | 1 | 25.823 February | 4.4× |
| AlbaceteCastille-La Mancha, Spain | 2 | 33.222 February | 4.4× |
| Ciudad RealCastille-La Mancha, Spain | 1 | 30.122 February | 4.4× |
| GetxoBasque Country, Spain | 5 | 29.617 February | 4.4× |
| ValenciaValencia, Spain | 5 | 40.023 February | 4.4× |
| MarmandeNew Aquitaine, France | 1 | 32.513 February | 4.4× |
| MóstolesMadrid, Spain | 1 | 33.622 February | 4.3× |
| Grao de MurviedroValencia, Spain | 2 | 27.123 February | 4.3× |
| VillenaValencia, Spain | 1 | 29.623 February | 4.3× |
| Fos-sur-MerProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France | 2 | 44.613 February | 4.2× |
| BilbaoBasque Country, Spain | 4 | 29.522 February | 4.2× |
| HernaniBasque Country, Spain | 4 | 36.018 February | 4.1× |
| MarseilleProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France | 2 | 39.213 February | 4.1× |
| ZaragozaAragon, Spain | 3 | 28.420 February | 4.1× |
| Azuqueca de HenaresCastille-La Mancha, Spain | 1 | 26.322 February | 4.1× |
| CalahorraLa Rioja, Spain | 3 | 33.318 February | 4.1× |
| MadridMadrid, Spain | 1 | 28.722 February | 4.0× |
| OviedoAsturias, Spain | 3 | 43.720 February | 4.0× |
| LugoGalicia, Spain | 4 | 32.320 February | 4.0× |
| ValdemoroMadrid, Spain | 2 | 33.822 February | 4.0× |
| FerrolGalicia, Spain | 1 | 25.521 February | 3.9× |
| TarbesOccitanie, France | 4 | 37.321 February | 3.8× |
| Santiago de CompostelaGalicia, Spain | 1 | 27.321 February | 3.8× |
| PalenciaCastille and León, Spain | 1 | 25.322 February | 3.8× |
| Torrejón de ArdozMadrid, Spain | 1 | 25.522 February | 3.8× |
| Romans-sur-IsèreAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France | 1 | 47.913 February | 3.8× |
| CártamaAndalusia, Spain | 1 | 26.522 February | 3.8× |
| Aix-en-ProvenceProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France | 1 | 34.713 February | 3.8× |
| ViveiroGalicia, Spain | 1 | 28.620 February | 3.8× |
| OriaBasque Country, Spain | 4 | 33.018 February | 3.7× |
| Alcalá de HenaresMadrid, Spain | 1 | 31.522 February | 3.7× |
| CosladaMadrid, Spain | 1 | 30.622 February | 3.7× |
| CuencaCastille-La Mancha, Spain | 3 | 38.422 February | 3.6× |
| VitrollesProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France | 2 | 42.513 February | 3.5× |
| MontaubanOccitanie, France | 3 | 33.118 February | 3.5× |
| ToledoCastille-La Mancha, Spain | 1 | 26.322 February | 3.5× |
| SamaAsturias, Spain | 5 | 35.018 February | 3.4× |
| Collado-VillalbaMadrid, Spain | 1 | 29.922 February | 3.3× |
| VigoGalicia, Spain | 4 | 40.020 February | 3.3× |
| AvilésAsturias, Spain | 1 | 27.420 February | 3.3× |
| ToulouseOccitanie, France | 2 | 26.518 February | 3.2× |
| AmorebietaBasque Country, Spain | 2 | 28.922 February | 3.1× |
| MontpellierOccitanie, France | 1 | 33.413 February | 3.1× |
| GijónAsturias, Spain | 4 | 31.421 February | 3.0× |
| A CoruñaGalicia, Spain | 1 | 25.218 February | 2.9× |
| JaénAndalusia, Spain | 1 | 25.922 February | 2.8× |
| GardanneProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France | 1 | 43.813 February | 2.8× |
| SevillaAndalusia, Spain | 1 | 27.622 February | 2.8× |
| ParedesPorto, Portugal | 1 | 40.325 February | 2.8× |
| BailénAndalusia, Spain | 3 | 36.022 February | 2.7× |
| ManosqueProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France | 1 | 30.516 February | 2.4× |
Daily means in µg/m³. Usual: the city's median for this time of year (its days within 21 days of the date, every year, leaving out the week around it). Above usual: its highest day against that.
Against other episodes in Spain and France
Number 4 of 23 episodes in Spain and France since our records began, by cities reached.
- Central Europe, February and March 2023274
- Western Europe, March 2023119
- Southern Europe, December 202397
- North-eastern Spain and France, February 202372
- France, The Netherlands and United Kingdom, January 202366
- Spain, France and Italy, December 202350
- France, Belgium and United Kingdom, November and December 202343
- France and Belgium, April 202336
- Canary Islands, Spain, December 202315
- Canary Islands, Spain, December 202315
- Belgium and France, August 202315
- Andalusia and Madrid, Spain, July 202315
Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 23.
Use this page
SmogRank, North-eastern Spain and France, February 2023: 72 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 16 to 23 February 2023, smogrank.com/episodes/2023-02-north-eastern-spain-and-france (accessed 2 October 2026).
You're welcome to reuse a single chart, image or figure with this citation and a link. Terms.
An episode is a run of days when many cities close to each other (four or more within 350 km on a day, 8 or more in all) each had a daily PM2.5 mean of at least 25 µg/m³ and at least 2 times their usual for that time of year. Found in our own measurements, not picked by hand. How we find episodes. Values are each city's daily mean of its own monitors; causes are the usual kinds for a pattern like this, not a confirmed source.