SmogRank / Episodes / Germany
Germany, France and 2 more countries, August 2026
For 3 days, from 15 to 17 August 2026, 17 cities in Germany, France, Luxembourg and 1 more countries had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Völklingen, Saarland, Germany: 72.3 µg/m³ on 15 August, about 13× its usual 5.5.
No cause named We have no fire or smoke records for these days, so we only say what the measurements show.
Cities reached 17 in 4 countries
Days 3 15 to 17 August 2026
Worst day 17 August 14 cities counted
Furthest above usual 13× Völklingen
Day by day
Play 17 August 14 cities at twice their usual or more
Kaiserslautern Bad Kreuznach Koblenz Neuwied Épinal Bendorf Bonn Eupen Köln Aachen Jülich Worms Limburg an der Lahn Mainz Pulheim Wiesbaden Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen Speyer Leverkusen Ludwigshafen am Rhein Karlsruhe Mannheim Heerlen Lampertheim Jüchen Mulhouse Rüsselsheim am Main Liège Hoensbroek Riedstadt Freiburg Ans Müllheim Flémalle-Haute Mönchengladbach Hattersheim Düsseldorf Bensheim Königstein im Taunus Wuppertal Montbéliard Ratingen Heidelberg Wiesloch Darmstadt Eschborn Olpe Krefeld Pforzheim Nettetal Lörrach Saint-Dizier Basel Lüdenscheid Netphen Andenne Frankfurt am Main Genk Duisburg Hattingen Venlo Essen Wetzlar Hagen Oberhausen Hasselt Gelsenkirchen Bottrop Houthalen Villingen-Schwenningen Schwerte Namur Dortmund Herrenberg Gießen Michelstadt Hanau am Main Wesel Venray Unna Datteln Lünen Großostheim Tübingen Eindhoven Marburg an der Lahn Aschaffenburg Heilbronn Borken Ludwigsburg Mol Stuttgart Aarschot Bern Filderstadt Soest Charleroi Warstein Jumet Reutlingen Nijmegen Rixensart Overijse Dole Zürich Winterthur Tilburg Zaventem Reims Mechelen Brussels Beersel Grimbergen Bad Wildungen Lauda-Königshofen Willebroek Konstanz Kreuzlingen Schwäbisch Hall Breda Antwerp Mons Kapellen Zwijndrecht Stabroek Fulda Beveren Würzburg Friedrichshafen Biberach an der Riß Kassel Aalen Ulm Neu-Ulm Valenciennes Lochristi Lindau Spijkenisse Lustenau Gent Denain Evergem Saint-Quentin Dornbirn Auxerre Tournai Witzenhausen Uslar Coulommiers Göttingen Ansbach Maldegem Kortrijk Meiningen Douai Roubaix Eisenach Izegem Kempten (Allgäu) Menen Lille Roeselare Knokke-Heist Duderstadt Mühlhausen Suhl Arras Bamberg Fontainebleau Augsburg Nuremberg Montargis Béthune Creil Füssen Nevers Paris Domont Koksijde Amiens Nordhausen Erfurt Sondershausen Ingolstadt Wernigerode Dunkirk Beauvais Étampes Starnberg Weimar Munich Bourges Rambouillet Jena Innsbruck Orléans Kelheim Olivet Calais Schwandorf in Bayern Marktredwitz Boulogne-sur-Mer Weiden Chartres Landshut Dreux Weißenfels Gera Bernburg Greiz Merseburg Halle (Saale) Zeitz Köthen Lunéville Baden-Baden Kehl Strasbourg Nancy Esch-sur-Alzette Saint-Avold Wadgassen Dillingen Trier Luxembourg Thionville Saarbrücken Marche-en-Famenne Metz Saarlouis Völklingen 12 Aug 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 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
Völklingen Völklingen, 12 August: 3.4 µg/m³ Völklingen, 13 August: 4.4 µg/m³ Völklingen, 14 August: 6.7 µg/m³ Völklingen, 15 August: 72.3 µg/m³, 13× its usual 5.5 Völklingen, 16 August: no reading Völklingen, 17 August: 27.1 µg/m³, 5.0× its usual 5.4 Völklingen, 18 August: 6.0 µg/m³ Völklingen, 19 August: 4.4 µg/m³ Völklingen, 20 August: 3.2 µg/m³ Saarlouis Saarlouis, 12 August: 3.4 µg/m³ Saarlouis, 13 August: 4.9 µg/m³ Saarlouis, 14 August: 7.0 µg/m³ Saarlouis, 15 August: 68.2 µg/m³, 12× its usual 5.6 Saarlouis, 16 August: no reading Saarlouis, 17 August: 25.9 µg/m³, 4.8× its usual 5.4 Saarlouis, 18 August: 5.7 µg/m³ Saarlouis, 19 August: 4.0 µg/m³ Saarlouis, 20 August: 2.7 µg/m³ Saarbrücken Saarbrücken, 12 August: 3.6 µg/m³ Saarbrücken, 13 August: 4.9 µg/m³ Saarbrücken, 14 August: 7.9 µg/m³ Saarbrücken, 15 August: 52.9 µg/m³, 8.5× its usual 6.2 Saarbrücken, 16 August: no reading Saarbrücken, 17 August: 27.8 µg/m³, 4.6× its usual 6.1 Saarbrücken, 18 August: 6.3 µg/m³ Saarbrücken, 19 August: 4.2 µg/m³ Saarbrücken, 20 August: 2.9 µg/m³ Trier Trier, 12 August: 4.0 µg/m³ Trier, 13 August: 5.6 µg/m³ Trier, 14 August: 7.3 µg/m³ Trier, 15 August: 50.2 µg/m³, 7.1× its usual 7.1 Trier, 16 August: no reading Trier, 17 August: 13.7 µg/m³ Trier, 18 August: 8.6 µg/m³ Trier, 19 August: 4.7 µg/m³ Trier, 20 August: 3.9 µg/m³ Dillingen Dillingen, 12 August: 4.8 µg/m³ Dillingen, 13 August: 6.5 µg/m³ Dillingen, 14 August: 8.3 µg/m³ Dillingen, 15 August: 46.2 µg/m³, 6.8× its usual 6.8 Dillingen, 16 August: no reading Dillingen, 17 August: 26.1 µg/m³, 3.8× its usual 6.8 Dillingen, 18 August: 6.6 µg/m³ Dillingen, 19 August: 4.7 µg/m³ Dillingen, 20 August: 3.6 µg/m³ Wadgassen Wadgassen, 12 August: 4.2 µg/m³ Wadgassen, 13 August: 4.7 µg/m³ Wadgassen, 14 August: 7.0 µg/m³ Wadgassen, 15 August: 34.4 µg/m³, 6.4× its usual 5.4 Wadgassen, 16 August: no reading Wadgassen, 17 August: 32.3 µg/m³, 6.1× its usual 5.3 Wadgassen, 18 August: 4.9 µg/m³ Wadgassen, 19 August: 3.5 µg/m³ Wadgassen, 20 August: 2.3 µg/m³ Saint-Avold Saint-Avold, 12 August: 4.2 µg/m³ Saint-Avold, 13 August: 4.7 µg/m³ Saint-Avold, 14 August: 7.0 µg/m³ Saint-Avold, 15 August: 34.4 µg/m³, 6.4× its usual 5.4 Saint-Avold, 16 August: no reading Saint-Avold, 17 August: 32.3 µg/m³, 6.1× its usual 5.3 Saint-Avold, 18 August: 4.9 µg/m³ Saint-Avold, 19 August: 3.5 µg/m³ Saint-Avold, 20 August: 2.3 µg/m³ Marche-en-Famenne Marche-en-Famenne, 12 August: 0.7 µg/m³ Marche-en-Famenne, 13 August: 1.4 µg/m³ Marche-en-Famenne, 14 August: 3.4 µg/m³ Marche-en-Famenne, 15 August: 7.3 µg/m³ Marche-en-Famenne, 16 August: 44.7 µg/m³, 8.9× its usual 3.1 Marche-en-Famenne, 17 August: 7.5 µg/m³ Marche-en-Famenne, 18 August: 7.4 µg/m³ Marche-en-Famenne, 19 August: 1.9 µg/m³ Marche-en-Famenne, 20 August: 1.1 µg/m³ Esch-sur-Alzette Esch-sur-Alzette, 12 August: 3.9 µg/m³ Esch-sur-Alzette, 13 August: 5.2 µg/m³ Esch-sur-Alzette, 14 August: 8.2 µg/m³ Esch-sur-Alzette, 15 August: 12.2 µg/m³ Esch-sur-Alzette, 16 August: 36.4 µg/m³, 5.4× its usual 6.8 Esch-sur-Alzette, 17 August: 21.0 µg/m³ Esch-sur-Alzette, 18 August: 6.7 µg/m³ Esch-sur-Alzette, 19 August: 4.2 µg/m³ Esch-sur-Alzette, 20 August: 3.6 µg/m³ Luxembourg Luxembourg, 12 August: 4.5 µg/m³ Luxembourg, 13 August: 5.5 µg/m³ Luxembourg, 14 August: 7.8 µg/m³ Luxembourg, 15 August: 13.4 µg/m³ Luxembourg, 16 August: 33.0 µg/m³, 5.5× its usual 6.0 Luxembourg, 17 August: 45.6 µg/m³, 7.6× its usual 6.0 Luxembourg, 18 August: 7.2 µg/m³ Luxembourg, 19 August: 4.4 µg/m³ Luxembourg, 20 August: 5.0 µg/m³ Lunéville Lunéville, 12 August: 6.0 µg/m³ Lunéville, 13 August: 7.6 µg/m³ Lunéville, 14 August: 9.3 µg/m³ Lunéville, 15 August: 13.7 µg/m³ Lunéville, 16 August: 26.6 µg/m³, 4.4× its usual 6.1 Lunéville, 17 August: 25.2 µg/m³, 4.1× its usual 6.1 Lunéville, 18 August: 6.8 µg/m³ Lunéville, 19 August: 5.0 µg/m³ Lunéville, 20 August: 4.1 µg/m³ Thionville Thionville, 12 August: 4.6 µg/m³ Thionville, 13 August: 6.6 µg/m³ Thionville, 14 August: 9.5 µg/m³ Thionville, 15 August: 14.6 µg/m³ Thionville, 16 August: 25.3 µg/m³, 4.4× its usual 5.8 Thionville, 17 August: 48.8 µg/m³, 8.4× its usual 5.8 Thionville, 18 August: 6.8 µg/m³ Thionville, 19 August: 5.6 µg/m³ Thionville, 20 August: 4.4 µg/m³ Metz Metz, 12 August: 3.9 µg/m³ Metz, 13 August: 5.2 µg/m³ Metz, 14 August: 8.3 µg/m³ Metz, 15 August: 12.6 µg/m³ Metz, 16 August: 20.2 µg/m³ Metz, 17 August: 62.2 µg/m³, 9.9× its usual 6.3 Metz, 18 August: 4.2 µg/m³ Metz, 19 August: 2.5 µg/m³ Metz, 20 August: no reading Strasbourg Strasbourg, 12 August: 4.1 µg/m³ Strasbourg, 13 August: 5.2 µg/m³ Strasbourg, 14 August: 7.1 µg/m³ Strasbourg, 15 August: 12.5 µg/m³ Strasbourg, 16 August: 19.5 µg/m³ Strasbourg, 17 August: 32.3 µg/m³, 5.1× its usual 6.3 Strasbourg, 18 August: 8.0 µg/m³ Strasbourg, 19 August: 4.5 µg/m³ Strasbourg, 20 August: 2.7 µg/m³ Nancy Nancy, 12 August: 6.2 µg/m³ Nancy, 13 August: 6.8 µg/m³ Nancy, 14 August: 9.3 µg/m³ Nancy, 15 August: 11.8 µg/m³ Nancy, 16 August: 13.6 µg/m³ Nancy, 17 August: 31.9 µg/m³, 5.2× its usual 6.1 Nancy, 18 August: 6.1 µg/m³ Nancy, 19 August: 5.0 µg/m³ Nancy, 20 August: 4.4 µg/m³ Kehl Kehl, 12 August: 4.2 µg/m³ Kehl, 13 August: 4.9 µg/m³ Kehl, 14 August: 6.8 µg/m³ Kehl, 15 August: 11.9 µg/m³ Kehl, 16 August: no reading Kehl, 17 August: 28.0 µg/m³, 4.7× its usual 6.0 Kehl, 18 August: 7.7 µg/m³ Kehl, 19 August: 4.6 µg/m³ Kehl, 20 August: no reading Baden-Baden Baden-Baden, 12 August: 4.5 µg/m³ Baden-Baden, 13 August: 4.7 µg/m³ Baden-Baden, 14 August: 6.2 µg/m³ Baden-Baden, 15 August: 8.4 µg/m³ Baden-Baden, 16 August: no reading Baden-Baden, 17 August: 25.0 µg/m³, 4.7× its usual 5.3 Baden-Baden, 18 August: 10.9 µg/m³ Baden-Baden, 19 August: 3.7 µg/m³ Baden-Baden, 20 August: no reading 12 Aug 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 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
Völklingen Saarland, Germany 2 15 August 5.5 13× Saarlouis Saarland, Germany 2 15 August 5.6 12× Metz Grand Est, France 1 17 August 6.3 9.9× Marche-en-Famenne Wallonia, Belgium 1 16 August 3.1 8.9× Saarbrücken Saarland, Germany 2 15 August 6.2 8.5× Thionville Grand Est, France 2 17 August 5.8 8.4× Luxembourg Luxembourg 2 17 August 6.0 7.6× Trier Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany 1 15 August 7.1 7.1× Dillingen Saarland, Germany 2 15 August 6.8 6.8× Wadgassen Saarland, Germany 2 15 August 5.4 6.4× Saint-Avold Grand Est, France 2 15 August 5.4 6.4× Esch-sur-Alzette Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg 1 16 August 6.8 5.4× Nancy Grand Est, France 1 17 August 6.1 5.2× Strasbourg Grand Est, France 1 17 August 6.3 5.1× Kehl Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany 1 17 August 6.0 4.7× Baden-Baden Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany 1 17 August 5.3 4.7× Lunéville Grand Est, France 2 16 August 6.1 4.4×
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 and France
Number 38 of 54 episodes in Germany and France since our records began, by cities reached.
Europe, 6 to 25 February 2023 608 Europe, 14 February to 1 March 2025 517 Europe, 1 to 14 February 2025 506 Europe, January and February 2026 502 Germany, Poland and 25 more countries, March 2025 463 Europe, 8 to 27 January 2024 449 Europe, 1 to 12 March 2026 444 Germany, France and 18 more countries, January 2025 381 Europe, 18 to 25 March 2026 362 Europe, March 2025 335 Europe, 28 February to 4 March 2023 279 Europe, February and March 2024 264 Germany, France and 2 more countries, August 2026 17 Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 54 .
Use this page SmogRank, Germany, France and 2 more countries, August 2026: 17 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 15 to 17 August 2026, smogrank.com/episodes/2026-08-germany-france-and-2-more-countries (accessed 4 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.
