SmogRank / Episodes / Spain

North-eastern Spain and France, January 2026

For 1 day, on 14 January 2026, 8 cities in Spain and France had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Manlleu, Catalonia, Spain: 52.5 µg/m³ on 14 January, about 2.0× its usual 26.0. Ended 14 January.

No cause namedWe have no fire or smoke records for these days, so we only say what the measurements show.
Cities reached8in 2 countries
Days114 January 2026
Worst day14 January8 cities counted
Furthest above usual5.4×Burriana

Day by day

14 January 8 cities at twice their usual or more
les EscaldesLourdesSalouTarbesZaragozaPauToulouseMont-de-MarsanBenicàssimTudelaCastelló de la PlanaCastresPamplonaPerpignanGrao de MurviedroHernaniValenciaDonostia / San SebastiánOriaTolosaBeasainZarautzBordeauxLormontBuñolAzpeitiaLogroñoZumarragaSoriaRodezUtielPérigueuxGasteiz / VitoriaDurangoAurillacAmorebietaBermeoMiranda de EbroAngoulêmeLaudio / LlodioBilbaoMontpellierVillenaGetxoSanturtziLimogesZallaEldaAlicanteJumillaNîmesAlcalá de HenaresBurgosAranda de DueroVillarejo de SalvanésTorreviejaAlgeteTorrejón de ArdozNiortArlesMolina de SeguraCosladaMurciaClermont-FerrandMadridValdemoroAvignonCaravacaFuenlabradaSan IldefonsoMontluçonMóstolesCartagenaCollado-VillalbaSalon-de-ProvenceChâteaurouxMarignaneVichyLorcaManzanaresMarseillePalenciaSaint-ÉtienneAix-en-ProvenceSorbiersVilla del PradoValenceAuriolMoulinsValladolidBourgesRomans-sur-IsèreCiudad RealMedina del CampoNeversLyonVillefranche-sur-SaôneMeyzieuVillefontaineJonageL'Isle-d'AbeauBailénGrenobleMeylanJaénCrollesBourg-en-BresseChambéryGranadaBellegarde-sur-ValserineDoleCampillosManlleuMontaubanBarrio de PeralEl PlanAlcantarillaPoitiersSaguntoBurriana
11 Jan121314151617
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

ManlleuManlleu, 11 January: 22.8 µg/m³Manlleu, 12 January: 40.0 µg/m³Manlleu, 13 January: 42.0 µg/m³Manlleu, 14 January: 52.5 µg/m³, 2.0× its usual 26.0Manlleu, 15 January: 37.0 µg/m³Manlleu, 16 January: 35.4 µg/m³Manlleu, 17 January: 29.9 µg/m³PoitiersPoitiers, 11 January: no readingPoitiers, 12 January: 4.2 µg/m³Poitiers, 13 January: no readingPoitiers, 14 January: 31.5 µg/m³, 3.5× its usual 9.1Poitiers, 15 January: 4.5 µg/m³Poitiers, 16 January: 5.2 µg/m³Poitiers, 17 January: no readingAlcantarillaAlcantarilla, 11 January: 6.9 µg/m³Alcantarilla, 12 January: 15.4 µg/m³Alcantarilla, 13 January: 27.9 µg/m³Alcantarilla, 14 January: 30.9 µg/m³, 3.4× its usual 9.2Alcantarilla, 15 January: 12.4 µg/m³Alcantarilla, 16 January: 16.0 µg/m³Alcantarilla, 17 January: 12.9 µg/m³BurrianaBurriana, 11 January: 8.8 µg/m³Burriana, 12 January: no readingBurriana, 13 January: 26.5 µg/m³Burriana, 14 January: 29.2 µg/m³, 5.4× its usual 5.4Burriana, 15 January: no readingBurriana, 16 January: no readingBurriana, 17 January: no readingSaguntoSagunto, 11 January: 5.8 µg/m³Sagunto, 12 January: 16.0 µg/m³Sagunto, 13 January: 22.0 µg/m³Sagunto, 14 January: 29.1 µg/m³, 5.4× its usual 5.4Sagunto, 15 January: 12.2 µg/m³Sagunto, 16 January: 7.3 µg/m³Sagunto, 17 January: 10.3 µg/m³El PlanEl Plan, 11 January: 6.2 µg/m³El Plan, 12 January: 12.4 µg/m³El Plan, 13 January: 14.1 µg/m³El Plan, 14 January: 27.2 µg/m³, 2.9× its usual 9.5El Plan, 15 January: 15.7 µg/m³El Plan, 16 January: 10.3 µg/m³El Plan, 17 January: 9.1 µg/m³Barrio de PeralBarrio de Peral, 11 January: 6.2 µg/m³Barrio de Peral, 12 January: 12.4 µg/m³Barrio de Peral, 13 January: 14.1 µg/m³Barrio de Peral, 14 January: 27.2 µg/m³, 2.9× its usual 9.5Barrio de Peral, 15 January: 15.7 µg/m³Barrio de Peral, 16 January: 10.3 µg/m³Barrio de Peral, 17 January: 9.1 µg/m³MontaubanMontauban, 11 January: no readingMontauban, 12 January: no readingMontauban, 13 January: no readingMontauban, 14 January: 26.6 µg/m³, 2.6× its usual 10.1Montauban, 15 January: no readingMontauban, 16 January: 19.0 µg/m³Montauban, 17 January: no reading11 Jan121314151617
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
BurrianaValencia, Spain1 29.214 January5.45.4×
SaguntoValencia, Spain1 29.114 January5.45.4×
PoitiersNew Aquitaine, France1 31.514 January9.13.5×
AlcantarillaMurcia, Spain1 30.914 January9.23.4×
El PlanMurcia, Spain1 27.214 January9.52.9×
Barrio de PeralMurcia, Spain1 27.214 January9.52.9×
MontaubanOccitanie, France1 26.614 January10.12.6×
ManlleuCatalonia, Spain1 52.514 January26.02.0×

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 Spain and France

Number 56 of 63 episodes in Spain and France since our records began, by cities reached.

Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 63.

Use this page

SmogRank, North-eastern Spain and France, January 2026: 8 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 14 January 2026, smogrank.com/episodes/2026-01-north-eastern-spain-and-france (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.