SmogRank / Episodes / Romania

Romania and Slovakia, October 2025

For 1 day, on 23 October 2025, 8 cities in Romania and Slovakia had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Bragadiru, Ilfov, Romania: 42.3 µg/m³ on 23 October, about 2.4× its usual 17.6. Ended 23 October.

Few fires were detected near these cities on those days. Spreads like this usually come from still weather trapping smoke from heating, traffic and industry, or from dust.
Cities reached8in 2 countries
Days123 October 2025
Worst day23 October8 cities counted
Furthest above usual3.0×Jilava

Day by day

23 October 8 cities at twice their usual or more
DejCodleaDebrecenNyíregyházaCraiovaSninaTrebišovHumennéCalafatČaňaMiskolcBaloteştiKazincbarcikaKrosnoKrompachySzegedBelgradeGyöngyösIaşiRevúcaVeľká LomnicaHolbocaPopradHnúšťaLučenecGyálLiptovský MikulášBudapestDunaújvárosZvolenŠahyRužomberokBanská BystricaEsztergomŽiar nad HronomŽarnovicaMartinHandlováŻywiecPrievidzaOščadnicaŽilinaPécsČadcaPartizánskeKomárnoTřinecVeszprémNitraKolárovoPúchovTrenčínFrýdek-MístekSereďValašské MeziříčíHraniceBardejovCluj-NapocaVranov nad TopľouKošicePrešovBragadiruBucharestJilava
20 Oct212223242526
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

BragadiruBragadiru, 20 October: 16.8 µg/m³Bragadiru, 21 October: 17.3 µg/m³Bragadiru, 22 October: 36.1 µg/m³Bragadiru, 23 October: 42.3 µg/m³, 2.4× its usual 17.6Bragadiru, 24 October: 23.3 µg/m³Bragadiru, 25 October: 8.2 µg/m³Bragadiru, 26 October: 23.2 µg/m³BucharestBucharest, 20 October: 10.8 µg/m³Bucharest, 21 October: 14.3 µg/m³Bucharest, 22 October: 26.7 µg/m³Bucharest, 23 October: 37.3 µg/m³, 2.8× its usual 13.2Bucharest, 24 October: 24.4 µg/m³Bucharest, 25 October: 6.6 µg/m³Bucharest, 26 October: 22.5 µg/m³JilavaJilava, 20 October: 11.0 µg/m³Jilava, 21 October: 15.4 µg/m³Jilava, 22 October: 29.3 µg/m³Jilava, 23 October: 35.8 µg/m³, 3.0× its usual 12.1Jilava, 24 October: 25.5 µg/m³Jilava, 25 October: 5.1 µg/m³Jilava, 26 October: 18.3 µg/m³PrešovPrešov, 20 October: 15.3 µg/m³Prešov, 21 October: 25.8 µg/m³Prešov, 22 October: 28.1 µg/m³Prešov, 23 October: 30.0 µg/m³, 2.2× its usual 13.6Prešov, 24 October: 11.2 µg/m³Prešov, 25 October: 7.4 µg/m³Prešov, 26 October: 9.6 µg/m³Cluj-NapocaCluj-Napoca, 20 October: 13.9 µg/m³Cluj-Napoca, 21 October: 21.5 µg/m³Cluj-Napoca, 22 October: 26.7 µg/m³Cluj-Napoca, 23 October: 30.0 µg/m³, 2.0× its usual 14.7Cluj-Napoca, 24 October: 7.8 µg/m³Cluj-Napoca, 25 October: 7.2 µg/m³Cluj-Napoca, 26 October: 11.5 µg/m³BardejovBardejov, 20 October: 8.7 µg/m³Bardejov, 21 October: 14.7 µg/m³Bardejov, 22 October: 18.3 µg/m³Bardejov, 23 October: 27.5 µg/m³, 2.0× its usual 13.5Bardejov, 24 October: 10.5 µg/m³Bardejov, 25 October: 4.7 µg/m³Bardejov, 26 October: 9.2 µg/m³KošiceKošice, 20 October: 11.4 µg/m³Košice, 21 October: 19.2 µg/m³Košice, 22 October: 23.5 µg/m³Košice, 23 October: 27.0 µg/m³, 2.1× its usual 12.8Košice, 24 October: 8.4 µg/m³Košice, 25 October: 6.0 µg/m³Košice, 26 October: 7.1 µg/m³Vranov nad TopľouVranov nad Topľou, 20 October: 9.3 µg/m³Vranov nad Topľou, 21 October: 16.7 µg/m³Vranov nad Topľou, 22 October: 22.7 µg/m³Vranov nad Topľou, 23 October: 25.0 µg/m³, 2.1× its usual 12.1Vranov nad Topľou, 24 October: 11.8 µg/m³Vranov nad Topľou, 25 October: 6.0 µg/m³Vranov nad Topľou, 26 October: 11.6 µg/m³20 Oct212223242526
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
JilavaIlfov, Romania1 35.823 October12.13.0×
BucharestBucharest, Romania1 37.323 October13.22.8×
BragadiruIlfov, Romania1 42.323 October17.62.4×
PrešovPrešov Region, Slovakia1 30.023 October13.62.2×
KošiceKošice Region, Slovakia1 27.023 October12.82.1×
Vranov nad TopľouPrešov Region, Slovakia1 25.023 October12.12.1×
Cluj-NapocaCluj County, Romania1 30.023 October14.72.0×
BardejovPrešov Region, Slovakia1 27.523 October13.52.0×

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 Romania and Slovakia

Number 13 of 14 episodes in Romania and Slovakia since our records began, by cities reached.

Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 14.

Use this page

SmogRank, Romania and Slovakia, October 2025: 8 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 23 October 2025, smogrank.com/episodes/2025-10-romania-and-slovakia (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. Fire detections from NASA FIRMS; smoke maps from NOAA HMS.