We have been hearing/reading about an unprecedented level of smog in Paris. We are planning a week in Paris in May and are worried that this may make our vacation less than enjoyable. Would appreciate any observations/comments about the status and what it might be like in May. We can always change our plans before then and try Paris another time. Thanks in advance ...

This is apparently a temperature inversion like they have in LA in warm weather. It was sleeting in Paris last May, so no reason to believe this weather will continue. Or won't. It is unpredictable.

I don't know if an "unprecedented" level from them is worse than an average day in LA.

Reports are just coming in on the effects of the weekend bans on automobiles in the city and adjacent suburbs. I gather it was a bit chaotic, but we should hear soon from those who are actually there.

int nudding new for Paris - just the most recent - I have been in Paris at times, usually when very hot and no rain, where the smog was awful and yes you could barely see the Tour Eiffel.

Anyone with breathing problems should monitor the situation as this type of smog ain't IME unusual.

Paris has always has a problem with smog due to its geography I understand - hills ringing the city cause inversion.

And that's why some advise climbing the Eiffel Tower on a weekend when many of the normal polluting cars are at home and the air allegedly cleaner and clearer to see once up top.

They are doing alternate day driving now, cars and even motorcycles with odd-numbered license plates drive on odd-numbered days, even numbers on even days. Taxis and electric vehicles and buses not affected.

Paris police wrote 4000 tickets yesterday and impounded 27 cars from drivers who refused to comply, no doubt with much waving of arms and expressions of, "Normalement, oui, mais . . . "

The alert ended today (Tuesday) and everything is back to normal in Paris. The problem is still extreme in Lyon and Grenoble, though.

NY times says driving bans and free transit are ending at midnight tonight.

I had no idea Paris air pollution was so awful. I saw a clip last night on the BBC news and it looked pretty bad. And now they are trying to ease the smog by restricting some cars (odd number license plates). I hope they can take more drastic measures.

Last time it was like this was, I believe, 1997.

<I>NY times says driving bans and free transit are ending at midnight tonight.</I>

That was midnight last night -- Monday March 17.

I should add that only about 45% of the pollution emanates from local traffic and industry. The rest drifts in huge clouds across Europe, sometimes from the coal burning factories and power plants of Eastern Europe and Germany, sometimes from the industrial zone in Rouen or even England and also a number of other places. Besides Lyon and Grenoble today, the air quality was also determined to be abominable in Toulouse and Corsica. Corsica has no industry and very little traffic, so the pollution is coming from elsewhere -- maybe Marseille or perhaps from Spain or Italy.

Due to the extremely mild winter, atmospheric conditions are peculiar right now, and the blob of bad air is floating everywhere.