Speed limits cut as Gironde faces pollution spike

High pollution levels have prompted authorities in Gironde to temporarily reduce speed limits on route nationale and autoroutes.

Limits on routes nationale in the department have been cut 20kph from usual limits of either 90kph or 110kph, while the top speed on autoroutes for the duration of the pollution spike has been reduced to by 20kph to 110kph.

The pollution alert was triggered after levels of the fine particles in the air exceeded a threshold of more than 50 microgrammes per cubic metre for the past 48 hours.

The build-up has been caused by a period of cold weather that has prompted residents to light fires, regional air quality monitor Atmo Nouvelle Aquitaine said.

Air quality levels are particularly poor in and around Bordeaux, Atmo Nouvelle Aquitaine said, also noting high pollution north of the city, in Blanquefort and Ludon-Médoc

At the weekend, speed limits in Haute-Garonne were temporarily cut by a similar amount during a pollution spike.

The prefecture has also banned the burning of green waste and has urged vulnerable people to avoid spending too much time outside.