SmogRank / Episodes / Germany

Germany, April 2025

For 2 days, from 20 to 21 April 2025, 11 cities in Germany had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany: 37.3 µg/m³ on 20 April, about 4.7× its usual 7.9. Readings stopped after 21 April, so this episode may have run longer.

No cause namedWe have no fire or smoke records for these days, so we only say what the measurements show.
Cities reached11in 1 country
Days220 to 21 April 2025
Worst day20 April8 cities counted
Furthest above usual6.0×Lauenburg

Day by day

20 April 8 cities at twice their usual or more
WittingenWolfsburgLüneburgBraunschweigSalzgitterHansestadt SalzwedelKlötzeLüchowHildesheimGoslarHamburgWernigerodeBuxtehudeBraunlageHalberstadtHalstenbekJorkLübeckThaleLudwigslustDuderstadtTrappenkampSchwerinNordhausenGöttingenWittenbergeMagdeburgUslarStendalSondershausenRintelnItzehoeBurg bei MagdeburgWismarWitzenhausenBad FrankenhausenMühlhausenKielBernburgGroßalmerodeKasselEisenachZierenbergKöthenOsternienburger LandOtterndorfErfurtBützowBebraWeimarHalle (Saale)GüstrowDessauBremerhavenBielefeldCuxhavenMerseburgEdertalMalchowBad WildungenBrandenburg an der HavelRostockJenaSuhlTarpWeißenfelsMeiningenBitterfeld-WolfenBad BelzigKahlaFlensburgSaalfeldFuldaNeuhaus am RennwegNeuruppinGersfeldWittenbergNauenWilhelmshavenWarsteinGeraBöselMarburg an der LahnFriesoytheSoestDallgow-DöberitzPotsdamFalkenseeAltenburgFürstenbergGreizBarthGießenKleinmachnowOranienburgTeltowWetzlarBerlinNetphenMahlowBlankenfelde-MahlowUnnaStralsundLingenBernau bei BerlinSchwerteLüdenscheidKönigs WusterhausenDortmundNeuenhagenSchöneicheHagenDattelnEmdenElsterwerdaLimburg an der LahnNorderneyStrausbergHattingenGelsenkirchenEnschedeHöhr-GrenzhausenLubnjowWuppertalEssenKadaňBendorfBorkenBottropKoblenzNeuwiedOberhausenLitvínovSchwedt (Oder)LeverkusenRatingenGroningenMostDuisburgBonnKölnDüsseldorfŚwinoujścieWeselTepliceCottbusSinnersdorfPulheimFrankfurt (Oder)KrefeldÚstí nad LabemSzczecinEisenhüttenstadtDěčínJüchenMönchengladbachKollumTitzNiederzierNettetalJülichKaldenkirchenVenloVenrayNijmegenGorzów WielkopolskiAachenŻaryHeerlenLunterenBogatyniaBarneveldChrastavaLiberecMladá BoleslavLubańZielona GóraEindhovenWaalreSulechówLiègeKołobrzegMedemblikHouthalenUtrechtHasseltMaarssenFlémalle-HauteIJsselsteinBreukelenTilburgPurmerendLopikMolAmsterdamJelenia GóraZaanstadWormerBadhoevedorpGingelomZwanenburgBredaVelserbroekVelsen-ZuidAndenneHamoisHillegomAarschotRidderkerkWschowaNoordwijkerhoutChampionRotterdamNamurSchiedamKapellenSpijkenisseThe HagueMechelenAntwerpStabroekMaassluisZaventemRixensartZwijndrechtWillebroek's-GravenzandeGrimbergenMelseleBeverenBrusselsCharleroiSzczytnaPoznańKłodzkoWrocławLochristiZelzateMonsGentLemwerderDelmenhorstNeubrandenburgHannoverMünsterOsnabrückOldenburgRitterhudeOytenWalsrodeLauenburg
17 Apr18192021222324
Every measured city in the area, coloured by its PM2.5 that day; a dark ring marks a city at twice its usual or more. Bars: cities counted each day, coloured by their median level. Choose a day or press play; without JavaScript, the days link to that day's world ranking.

How it spread

OldenburgOldenburg, 17 April: 6.4 µg/m³Oldenburg, 18 April: 6.1 µg/m³Oldenburg, 19 April: 12.5 µg/m³Oldenburg, 20 April: 37.3 µg/m³, 4.7× its usual 7.9Oldenburg, 21 April: 18.8 µg/m³Oldenburg, 22 April: no readingOldenburg, 23 April: no readingOldenburg, 24 April: 15.1 µg/m³WalsrodeWalsrode, 17 April: 4.5 µg/m³Walsrode, 18 April: 4.2 µg/m³Walsrode, 19 April: 7.3 µg/m³Walsrode, 20 April: 36.0 µg/m³, 5.7× its usual 6.3Walsrode, 21 April: 17.7 µg/m³Walsrode, 22 April: no readingWalsrode, 23 April: no readingWalsrode, 24 April: 9.6 µg/m³OsnabrückOsnabrück, 17 April: 7.1 µg/m³Osnabrück, 18 April: 4.8 µg/m³Osnabrück, 19 April: 6.5 µg/m³Osnabrück, 20 April: 33.6 µg/m³, 4.7× its usual 7.1Osnabrück, 21 April: 20.4 µg/m³Osnabrück, 22 April: no readingOsnabrück, 23 April: no readingOsnabrück, 24 April: 11.7 µg/m³OytenOyten, 17 April: 2.3 µg/m³Oyten, 18 April: 4.4 µg/m³Oyten, 19 April: 8.4 µg/m³Oyten, 20 April: 32.1 µg/m³, 5.6× its usual 5.7Oyten, 21 April: 27.4 µg/m³, 4.7× its usual 5.8Oyten, 22 April: no readingOyten, 23 April: no readingOyten, 24 April: 9.8 µg/m³RitterhudeRitterhude, 17 April: 3.0 µg/m³Ritterhude, 18 April: 4.4 µg/m³Ritterhude, 19 April: 7.6 µg/m³Ritterhude, 20 April: 32.1 µg/m³, 5.3× its usual 6.1Ritterhude, 21 April: 22.8 µg/m³Ritterhude, 22 April: no readingRitterhude, 23 April: no readingRitterhude, 24 April: 11.0 µg/m³MünsterMünster, 17 April: 11.1 µg/m³Münster, 18 April: 4.3 µg/m³Münster, 19 April: 7.2 µg/m³Münster, 20 April: 30.3 µg/m³, 3.9× its usual 7.8Münster, 21 April: 17.9 µg/m³Münster, 22 April: no readingMünster, 23 April: no readingMünster, 24 April: 13.9 µg/m³LauenburgLauenburg, 17 April: 12.7 µg/m³Lauenburg, 18 April: 4.5 µg/m³Lauenburg, 19 April: 6.8 µg/m³Lauenburg, 20 April: 30.2 µg/m³, 6.0× its usual 4.4Lauenburg, 21 April: 13.4 µg/m³Lauenburg, 22 April: no readingLauenburg, 23 April: no readingLauenburg, 24 April: 7.5 µg/m³HannoverHannover, 17 April: 4.9 µg/m³Hannover, 18 April: 4.9 µg/m³Hannover, 19 April: 9.3 µg/m³Hannover, 20 April: 26.4 µg/m³, 3.9× its usual 6.8Hannover, 21 April: 15.5 µg/m³Hannover, 22 April: no readingHannover, 23 April: no readingHannover, 24 April: 9.6 µg/m³NeubrandenburgNeubrandenburg, 17 April: 24.7 µg/m³Neubrandenburg, 18 April: 24.9 µg/m³Neubrandenburg, 19 April: 9.6 µg/m³Neubrandenburg, 20 April: 12.9 µg/m³Neubrandenburg, 21 April: 29.2 µg/m³, 3.7× its usual 7.8Neubrandenburg, 22 April: no readingNeubrandenburg, 23 April: no readingNeubrandenburg, 24 April: 12.5 µg/m³DelmenhorstDelmenhorst, 17 April: 6.0 µg/m³Delmenhorst, 18 April: 4.5 µg/m³Delmenhorst, 19 April: 6.2 µg/m³Delmenhorst, 20 April: 24.6 µg/m³Delmenhorst, 21 April: 25.8 µg/m³, 3.7× its usual 7.0Delmenhorst, 22 April: no readingDelmenhorst, 23 April: no readingDelmenhorst, 24 April: 12.6 µg/m³LemwerderLemwerder, 17 April: 6.0 µg/m³Lemwerder, 18 April: 4.5 µg/m³Lemwerder, 19 April: 6.2 µg/m³Lemwerder, 20 April: 24.6 µg/m³Lemwerder, 21 April: 25.8 µg/m³, 3.7× its usual 7.0Lemwerder, 22 April: no readingLemwerder, 23 April: no readingLemwerder, 24 April: 12.6 µg/m³17 Apr18192021222324
Every counted city, in the order the episode reached them, 3 days before to 3 after. Each square is a day, coloured by that day's PM2.5; outlined: at twice the city's usual or more.
Good0–50
Moderate51–100
Sensitive groups101–150
Unhealthy151–200
Very unhealthy201–300
Hazardous301+

Every city it reached

CityDaysHighestUsualAbove usual
LauenburgSchleswig-Holstein, Germany1 30.220 April4.46.0×
WalsrodeLower Saxony, Germany1 36.020 April6.35.7×
OytenLower Saxony, Germany2 32.120 April5.75.6×
RitterhudeLower Saxony, Germany1 32.120 April6.15.3×
OldenburgLower Saxony, Germany1 37.320 April7.94.7×
OsnabrückLower Saxony, Germany1 33.620 April7.14.7×
MünsterNorth Rhine-Westphalia, Germany1 30.320 April7.83.9×
HannoverLower Saxony, Germany1 26.420 April6.83.9×
NeubrandenburgMecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany1 29.221 April7.83.7×
DelmenhorstLower Saxony, Germany1 25.821 April7.03.7×
LemwerderLower Saxony, Germany1 25.821 April7.03.7×

Daily means in µg/m³, over the days each city counted in this episode. Highest: its highest of those days. Usual: the city's median for the time of year of that day (its days within 21 days of the date, every year, leaving out the week around it). Above usual: its highest day against that, with a usual under 5 µg/m³ taken as 5.

Against other episodes in Germany

Number 26 of 29 episodes in Germany since our records began, by cities reached.

Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 29.

Use this page

SmogRank, Germany, April 2025: 11 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 20 to 21 April 2025, smogrank.com/episodes/2025-04-germany (accessed 5 October 2026).

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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.