SmogRank / Episodes / Romania

Romania and Bulgaria, March 2026

For 1 day, on 17 March 2026, 12 cities in Romania and Bulgaria had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Jilava, Ilfov, Romania: 45.3 µg/m³ on 17 March, about 3.0× its usual 15.0. Ended 17 March.

No cause namedWe have no fire or smoke records for these days, so we only say what the measurements show.
Cities reached12in 2 countries
Days117 March 2026
Worst day17 March12 cities counted
Furthest above usual3.0×Jilava

Day by day

17 March 12 cities at twice their usual or more
BraşovCodleaBufteaPiteştiVoluntariPiatra NeamţTârgu MureşModeluSuceavaCluj-NapocaTârgu JiuRovinariIsacceaSighetu MarmaţieiBaia MareVarnaZalăuCalafatNišTimişoaraDebrecenNyíregyházaKikindaBelgradeSzegedPopeşti-LeordeniDejBaloteştiRuseOtopeniHolbocaIaşiCernicaBucharestBragadiruCraiovaJilava
14 Mar151617181920
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

JilavaJilava, 14 March: no readingJilava, 15 March: no readingJilava, 16 March: 34.9 µg/m³Jilava, 17 March: 45.3 µg/m³, 3.0× its usual 15.0Jilava, 18 March: 11.4 µg/m³Jilava, 19 March: 11.7 µg/m³Jilava, 20 March: 16.8 µg/m³DejDej, 14 March: no readingDej, 15 March: no readingDej, 16 March: no readingDej, 17 March: 43.1 µg/m³, 2.0× its usual 21.3Dej, 18 March: 23.4 µg/m³Dej, 19 March: 17.0 µg/m³Dej, 20 March: 23.4 µg/m³BragadiruBragadiru, 14 March: no readingBragadiru, 15 March: no readingBragadiru, 16 March: 28.2 µg/m³Bragadiru, 17 March: 41.8 µg/m³, 2.5× its usual 17.0Bragadiru, 18 March: 12.4 µg/m³Bragadiru, 19 March: 12.1 µg/m³Bragadiru, 20 March: 19.2 µg/m³Popeşti-LeordeniPopeşti-Leordeni, 14 March: no readingPopeşti-Leordeni, 15 March: no readingPopeşti-Leordeni, 16 March: 22.5 µg/m³Popeşti-Leordeni, 17 March: 38.7 µg/m³, 2.0× its usual 19.0Popeşti-Leordeni, 18 March: 12.5 µg/m³Popeşti-Leordeni, 19 March: 11.8 µg/m³Popeşti-Leordeni, 20 March: 13.3 µg/m³BucharestBucharest, 14 March: no readingBucharest, 15 March: no readingBucharest, 16 March: 21.5 µg/m³Bucharest, 17 March: 37.3 µg/m³, 2.5× its usual 14.7Bucharest, 18 March: 10.9 µg/m³Bucharest, 19 March: 11.2 µg/m³Bucharest, 20 March: 13.6 µg/m³CraiovaCraiova, 14 March: no readingCraiova, 15 March: no readingCraiova, 16 March: 27.7 µg/m³Craiova, 17 March: 36.4 µg/m³, 2.9× its usual 12.7Craiova, 18 March: 12.6 µg/m³Craiova, 19 March: 13.3 µg/m³Craiova, 20 March: 27.4 µg/m³IaşiIaşi, 14 March: no readingIaşi, 15 March: no readingIaşi, 16 March: 36.4 µg/m³Iaşi, 17 March: 34.9 µg/m³, 2.1× its usual 16.6Iaşi, 18 March: 22.7 µg/m³Iaşi, 19 March: 14.6 µg/m³Iaşi, 20 March: 13.6 µg/m³HolbocaHolboca, 14 March: no readingHolboca, 15 March: no readingHolboca, 16 March: no readingHolboca, 17 March: 34.9 µg/m³, 2.1× its usual 16.3Holboca, 18 March: 19.4 µg/m³Holboca, 19 March: 14.9 µg/m³Holboca, 20 March: 14.3 µg/m³OtopeniOtopeni, 14 March: no readingOtopeni, 15 March: no readingOtopeni, 16 March: 24.9 µg/m³Otopeni, 17 March: 34.5 µg/m³, 2.1× its usual 16.4Otopeni, 18 March: 11.7 µg/m³Otopeni, 19 March: 12.1 µg/m³Otopeni, 20 March: 15.7 µg/m³RuseRuse, 14 March: 21.2 µg/m³Ruse, 15 March: 19.3 µg/m³Ruse, 16 March: 27.9 µg/m³Ruse, 17 March: 30.5 µg/m³, 2.1× its usual 14.5Ruse, 18 March: 11.7 µg/m³Ruse, 19 March: 18.0 µg/m³Ruse, 20 March: 18.4 µg/m³CernicaCernica, 14 March: no readingCernica, 15 March: no readingCernica, 16 March: 15.0 µg/m³Cernica, 17 March: 26.9 µg/m³, 2.3× its usual 11.9Cernica, 18 March: 5.8 µg/m³Cernica, 19 March: 8.1 µg/m³Cernica, 20 March: 8.6 µg/m³BaloteştiBaloteşti, 14 March: no readingBaloteşti, 15 March: no readingBaloteşti, 16 March: no readingBaloteşti, 17 March: 25.7 µg/m³, 2.1× its usual 12.3Baloteşti, 18 March: 8.8 µg/m³Baloteşti, 19 March: 10.9 µg/m³Baloteşti, 20 March: 13.9 µg/m³14 Mar151617181920
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 45.317 March15.03.0×
CraiovaDolj, Romania1 36.417 March12.72.9×
BragadiruIlfov, Romania1 41.817 March17.02.5×
BucharestBucharest, Romania1 37.317 March14.72.5×
CernicaIlfov, Romania1 26.917 March11.92.3×
IaşiIași County, Romania1 34.917 March16.62.1×
HolbocaIași County, Romania1 34.917 March16.32.1×
OtopeniIlfov, Romania1 34.517 March16.42.1×
RuseRuse, Bulgaria1 30.517 March14.52.1×
BaloteştiIlfov, Romania1 25.717 March12.32.1×
DejCluj County, Romania1 43.117 March21.32.0×
Popeşti-LeordeniIlfov, Romania1 38.717 March19.02.0×

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 Romania and Bulgaria

Number 2 of 7 episodes in Romania and Bulgaria since our records began, by cities reached.

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

Use this page

SmogRank, Romania and Bulgaria, March 2026: 12 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 17 March 2026, smogrank.com/episodes/2026-03-romania-and-bulgaria (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.