Here's what a polluted Paris looks like draped in smog

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Here's what a polluted Paris looks like draped in smog
(Image credit: Twitter)

Parisians are used to waving away thick clouds of smoke from their faces, but this time it's not from cigarettes. The French capital is currently cloaked in a heavy blanket of smog, a case of severe air pollution spurred by unseasonably warm temperatures. It's so bad that the city is making public transportation (including bikes and electric vehicles) free for the weekend to get people out of their cars and motorcycles.

The European Environment Agency reports that the smog is the worse it's been since 2007, with nearly three-quarters of France affected. Local hospitals are treating an influx of patients suffering from chronic respiratory ailments, such as difficulty breathing and coughing.

Temperatures are expected to remain in the upper 60s and low 70s until Monday, when a cold front is expected to usher in some rain and relief. -- Jordan Valinsky

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Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.