SmogRank / Episodes / France
France, July 2026
For 2 days, from 25 to 26 July 2026, 26 cities in France had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Limoges, New Aquitaine, France: 151.0 µg/m³ on 25 July, about 30× its usual 5.1.
No cause named We have no fire or smoke records for these days, so we only say what the measurements show.
Cities reached 26 in 1 country
Days 2 25 to 26 July 2026
Worst day 26 July 20 cities counted
Furthest above usual 30× Limoges
Day by day
Play 26 July 20 cities at twice their usual or more
Vichy Bourges Valence Arles les Escaldes Villefontaine Tarbes Salon-de-Provence Joué-lès-Tours Tours Bourg-en-Bresse Lourdes Mont-de-Marsan Marignane Pau Niort Grenoble Aix-en-Provence Marseille Meylan Chambéry Annemasse Albertville Nantes Donostia / San Sebastián Hernani Cannes Oria Tolosa Zarautz Aosta Nice Monaco Nichelino Turin Saint-Nazaire Durango Bermeo Bern Bra Amorebieta Gasteiz / Vitoria Bilbao Biella Getxo Laudio / Llodio Santurtzi Miranda de Ebro Montpellier Romans-sur-Isère Avignon Saint-Étienne Perpignan Toulouse Nîmes Lyon Castres Meyzieu Villefranche-sur-Saône Clermont-Ferrand Montauban Dole Nevers Châteauroux Rodez Moulins Poitiers Aurillac Montluçon Lormont Angoulême Bordeaux Périgueux Limoges 22 Jul 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 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
Bordeaux Bordeaux, 22 July: 4.6 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Bordeaux, 23 July: 7.5 µg/m³, 1.3× usual Bordeaux, 24 July: 45.0 µg/m³, 7.9× usual Bordeaux, 25 July: 46.5 µg/m³, 8.2× usual Bordeaux, 26 July: 123.0 µg/m³, 22× usual Bordeaux, 27 July: 16.7 µg/m³, 2.9× usual Bordeaux, 28 July: 17.3 µg/m³, 3.0× usual Bordeaux, 29 July: 38.5 µg/m³, 6.8× usual Limoges Limoges, 22 July: 5.0 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Limoges, 23 July: 5.6 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Limoges, 24 July: 6.2 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Limoges, 25 July: 151.0 µg/m³, 30× usual Limoges, 26 July: 18.9 µg/m³, 3.7× usual Limoges, 27 July: 5.3 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Limoges, 28 July: 5.0 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Limoges, 29 July: 12.0 µg/m³, 2.4× usual Périgueux Périgueux, 22 July: 4.7 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Périgueux, 23 July: 6.1 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Périgueux, 24 July: 6.4 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Périgueux, 25 July: 124.0 µg/m³, 24× usual Périgueux, 26 July: 13.0 µg/m³, 2.5× usual Périgueux, 27 July: 20.3 µg/m³, 3.9× usual Périgueux, 28 July: 5.6 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Périgueux, 29 July: 10.5 µg/m³, 2.0× usual Angoulême Angoulême, 22 July: 5.7 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Angoulême, 23 July: 9.9 µg/m³, 1.9× usual Angoulême, 24 July: 7.0 µg/m³, 1.3× usual Angoulême, 25 July: 90.1 µg/m³, 17× usual Angoulême, 26 July: 8.2 µg/m³, 1.5× usual Angoulême, 27 July: 6.0 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Angoulême, 28 July: 5.5 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Angoulême, 29 July: 11.4 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Lormont Lormont, 22 July: 4.6 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Lormont, 23 July: 7.0 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Lormont, 24 July: 15.0 µg/m³, 2.6× usual Lormont, 25 July: 72.2 µg/m³, 13× usual Lormont, 26 July: 70.3 µg/m³, 12× usual Lormont, 27 July: 13.0 µg/m³, 2.3× usual Lormont, 28 July: 10.7 µg/m³, 1.9× usual Lormont, 29 July: 24.8 µg/m³, 4.4× usual Montluçon Montluçon, 22 July: 5.9 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Montluçon, 23 July: 6.1 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Montluçon, 24 July: 6.1 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Montluçon, 25 July: 57.9 µg/m³, 12× usual Montluçon, 26 July: 48.5 µg/m³, 9.7× usual Montluçon, 27 July: 4.4 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Montluçon, 28 July: 5.0 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Montluçon, 29 July: 13.0 µg/m³, 2.6× usual Aurillac Aurillac, 22 July: 2.7 µg/m³, 0.5× usual Aurillac, 23 July: 3.9 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Aurillac, 24 July: 4.5 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Aurillac, 25 July: 57.7 µg/m³, 12× usual Aurillac, 26 July: 32.2 µg/m³, 6.4× usual Aurillac, 27 July: 20.0 µg/m³, 4.0× usual Aurillac, 28 July: 3.9 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Aurillac, 29 July: 10.9 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Rodez Rodez, 22 July: 3.5 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Rodez, 23 July: 4.3 µg/m³, 0.7× usual Rodez, 24 July: 6.6 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Rodez, 25 July: 47.9 µg/m³, 8.0× usual Rodez, 26 July: 37.4 µg/m³, 6.2× usual Rodez, 27 July: 28.3 µg/m³, 4.7× usual Rodez, 28 July: 6.5 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Rodez, 29 July: 14.9 µg/m³, 2.5× usual Poitiers Poitiers, 22 July: 6.0 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Poitiers, 23 July: 5.7 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Poitiers, 24 July: 6.1 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Poitiers, 25 July: 42.6 µg/m³, 8.4× usual Poitiers, 26 July: 6.9 µg/m³, 1.4× usual Poitiers, 27 July: 6.4 µg/m³, 1.3× usual Poitiers, 28 July: 6.2 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Poitiers, 29 July: 14.2 µg/m³, 2.8× usual Montauban Montauban, 22 July: 4.0 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Montauban, 23 July: no reading Montauban, 24 July: 6.9 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Montauban, 25 July: 35.9 µg/m³, 5.5× usual Montauban, 26 July: 28.1 µg/m³, 4.3× usual Montauban, 27 July: 6.5 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Montauban, 28 July: no reading Montauban, 29 July: 14.1 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Châteauroux Châteauroux, 22 July: 5.7 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Châteauroux, 23 July: 5.4 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Châteauroux, 24 July: 5.0 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Châteauroux, 25 July: 31.7 µg/m³, 6.3× usual Châteauroux, 26 July: 26.1 µg/m³, 5.2× usual Châteauroux, 27 July: 4.1 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Châteauroux, 28 July: 4.7 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Châteauroux, 29 July: 14.4 µg/m³, 2.9× usual Perpignan Perpignan, 22 July: 6.6 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Perpignan, 23 July: 8.8 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Perpignan, 24 July: 8.6 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Perpignan, 25 July: 29.6 µg/m³, 3.9× usual Perpignan, 26 July: 9.9 µg/m³, 1.3× usual Perpignan, 27 July: 3.4 µg/m³, 0.5× usual Perpignan, 28 July: 7.3 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Perpignan, 29 July: 15.7 µg/m³, 2.1× usual Toulouse Toulouse, 22 July: 5.2 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Toulouse, 23 July: 7.3 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Toulouse, 24 July: 10.9 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Toulouse, 25 July: 28.0 µg/m³, 4.1× usual Toulouse, 26 July: 7.6 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Toulouse, 27 July: 5.2 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Toulouse, 28 July: 8.3 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Toulouse, 29 July: 14.9 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Castres Castres, 22 July: 5.3 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Castres, 23 July: 6.1 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Castres, 24 July: 12.2 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Castres, 25 July: 27.8 µg/m³, 4.2× usual Castres, 26 July: 28.8 µg/m³, 4.4× usual Castres, 27 July: 8.2 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Castres, 28 July: 11.0 µg/m³, 1.7× usual Castres, 29 July: 22.7 µg/m³, 3.4× usual Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand, 22 July: 6.4 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Clermont-Ferrand, 23 July: 6.7 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Clermont-Ferrand, 24 July: 7.3 µg/m³, 1.3× usual Clermont-Ferrand, 25 July: 25.6 µg/m³, 4.7× usual Clermont-Ferrand, 26 July: 26.6 µg/m³, 4.8× usual Clermont-Ferrand, 27 July: 3.3 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Clermont-Ferrand, 28 July: 5.9 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Clermont-Ferrand, 29 July: 12.6 µg/m³, 2.3× usual Moulins Moulins, 22 July: 5.4 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Moulins, 23 July: 5.7 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Moulins, 24 July: 5.3 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Moulins, 25 July: 24.0 µg/m³, 4.8× usual Moulins, 26 July: 41.6 µg/m³, 8.3× usual Moulins, 27 July: 3.8 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Moulins, 28 July: 4.6 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Moulins, 29 July: 10.9 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Nevers Nevers, 22 July: 5.4 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Nevers, 23 July: 5.1 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Nevers, 24 July: 4.8 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Nevers, 25 July: 12.0 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Nevers, 26 July: 32.9 µg/m³, 6.1× usual Nevers, 27 July: 3.8 µg/m³, 0.7× usual Nevers, 28 July: 5.2 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Nevers, 29 July: 12.3 µg/m³, 2.3× usual Dole Dole, 22 July: 4.8 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Dole, 23 July: 5.2 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Dole, 24 July: 6.8 µg/m³, 1.4× usual Dole, 25 July: 8.0 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Dole, 26 July: 30.0 µg/m³, 6.0× usual Dole, 27 July: 4.3 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Dole, 28 July: 6.2 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Dole, 29 July: 10.5 µg/m³, 2.1× usual Meyzieu Meyzieu, 22 July: 3.6 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Meyzieu, 23 July: 5.4 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Meyzieu, 24 July: 6.2 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Meyzieu, 25 July: 9.2 µg/m³, 1.5× usual Meyzieu, 26 July: 29.3 µg/m³, 4.7× usual Meyzieu, 27 July: 4.3 µg/m³, 0.7× usual Meyzieu, 28 July: 6.9 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Meyzieu, 29 July: 11.7 µg/m³, 1.9× usual Lyon Lyon, 22 July: 4.4 µg/m³, 0.7× usual Lyon, 23 July: 6.0 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Lyon, 24 July: 6.0 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Lyon, 25 July: 8.9 µg/m³, 1.3× usual Lyon, 26 July: 28.8 µg/m³, 4.4× usual Lyon, 27 July: 4.1 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Lyon, 28 July: 7.2 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Lyon, 29 July: 12.5 µg/m³, 1.9× usual Montpellier Montpellier, 22 July: 5.0 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Montpellier, 23 July: no reading Montpellier, 24 July: no reading Montpellier, 25 July: 12.4 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Montpellier, 26 July: 27.3 µg/m³, 3.4× usual Montpellier, 27 July: no reading Montpellier, 28 July: no reading Montpellier, 29 July: no reading Villefranche-sur-Sa… Villefranche-sur-Saône, 22 July: 3.8 µg/m³, 0.7× usual Villefranche-sur-Saône, 23 July: 5.1 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Villefranche-sur-Saône, 24 July: 5.2 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Villefranche-sur-Saône, 25 July: 7.3 µg/m³, 1.3× usual Villefranche-sur-Saône, 26 July: 26.8 µg/m³, 4.8× usual Villefranche-sur-Saône, 27 July: 3.4 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Villefranche-sur-Saône, 28 July: 6.1 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Villefranche-sur-Saône, 29 July: 12.1 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Avignon Avignon, 22 July: 4.2 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Avignon, 23 July: 5.7 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Avignon, 24 July: 7.1 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Avignon, 25 July: 16.7 µg/m³, 2.5× usual Avignon, 26 July: 26.1 µg/m³, 3.8× usual Avignon, 27 July: 5.8 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Avignon, 28 July: 8.1 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Avignon, 29 July: 12.1 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne, 22 July: 4.1 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Saint-Étienne, 23 July: 5.9 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Saint-Étienne, 24 July: 5.8 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Saint-Étienne, 25 July: 8.2 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Saint-Étienne, 26 July: 26.0 µg/m³, 3.9× usual Saint-Étienne, 27 July: 5.9 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Saint-Étienne, 28 July: 6.9 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Saint-Étienne, 29 July: 12.2 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Romans-sur-Isère Romans-sur-Isère, 22 July: 4.2 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Romans-sur-Isère, 23 July: 6.1 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Romans-sur-Isère, 24 July: 7.0 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Romans-sur-Isère, 25 July: 11.6 µg/m³, 1.7× usual Romans-sur-Isère, 26 July: 25.8 µg/m³, 3.7× usual Romans-sur-Isère, 27 July: 6.2 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Romans-sur-Isère, 28 July: 8.1 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Romans-sur-Isère, 29 July: 12.3 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Nîmes Nîmes, 22 July: 3.9 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Nîmes, 23 July: 6.0 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Nîmes, 24 July: 7.0 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Nîmes, 25 July: 11.9 µg/m³, 2.0× usual Nîmes, 26 July: 25.7 µg/m³, 4.2× usual Nîmes, 27 July: 13.3 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Nîmes, 28 July: 9.5 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Nîmes, 29 July: 13.8 µg/m³, 2.3× usual 22 Jul 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 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. Good 0–50
Moderate 51–100
Sensitive groups 101–150
Unhealthy 151–200
Very unhealthy 201–300
Hazardous 301+
Every city it reached
City Days Highest Usual Above usual
Limoges New Aquitaine, France 1 25 July 5.1 30× Périgueux New Aquitaine, France 1 25 July 5.2 24× Bordeaux New Aquitaine, France 2 26 July 5.7 22× Angoulême New Aquitaine, France 1 25 July 5.3 17× Lormont New Aquitaine, France 2 25 July 5.7 13× Montluçon Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France 2 25 July 5.0 12× Aurillac Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France 2 25 July 4.7 12× Poitiers New Aquitaine, France 1 25 July 5.1 8.4× Moulins Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France 1 26 July 4.8 8.3× Rodez Occitanie, France 2 25 July 6.0 8.0× Châteauroux Centre-Val de Loire, France 2 25 July 4.7 6.3× Nevers Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France 1 26 July 5.4 6.1× Dole Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France 1 26 July 5.0 6.0× Montauban Occitanie, France 2 25 July 6.5 5.5× Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France 2 26 July 5.5 4.8× Villefranche-sur-Saône Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France 1 26 July 5.6 4.8× Meyzieu Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France 1 26 July 6.2 4.7× Castres Occitanie, France 2 26 July 6.6 4.4× Lyon Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France 1 26 July 6.6 4.4× Nîmes Occitanie, France 1 26 July 6.1 4.2× Toulouse Occitanie, France 1 25 July 6.8 4.1× Perpignan Occitanie, France 1 25 July 7.5 3.9× Saint-Étienne Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France 1 26 July 6.6 3.9× Avignon Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France 1 26 July 6.8 3.8× Romans-sur-Isère Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France 1 26 July 7.0 3.7× Montpellier Occitanie, France 1 26 July 8.0 3.4×
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 France
Number 10 of 21 episodes in France since our records began, by cities reached.
Central Europe, February and March 2023 274 Central Europe, December 2025 to January 2026 170 Western Europe, March 2023 119 Southern Europe, December 2023 97 North-eastern Spain and France, February 2023 72 France, The Netherlands and United Kingdom, January 2023 66 Central Europe, June 2025 63 France, Belgium and United Kingdom, November and December 2023 43 France and Belgium, April 2023 36 France, July 2026 26 Germany, France and Luxembourg, August 2026 16 Belgium and France, August 2023 15 Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 21 .
Use this page SmogRank, France, July 2026: 26 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 25 to 26 July 2026, smogrank.com/episodes/2026-07-france (accessed 3 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.
