Cold air surge forecast for New Year holiday in Vietnam

The national weather agency said a new cold air surge is likely to move southward around Thursday, coinciding with New Year’s Day.

This system is expected to significantly influence weather conditions across much of the country, particularly in the northern region.

From around Thursday, northern Vietnam will turn cold, with mountainous areas experiencing severe and damaging cold conditions.

The northeastern part, along with the north-central provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An, is forecast to see scattered light rain during this period.

Before the arrival of the stronger cold air, weather conditions from now through Tuesday are expected to remain relatively stable, during which northern Vietnam and the north-central region will see isolated rain, with early-morning fog in some places.

Temperatures will remain cold, and mountainous areas may continue to experience severe cold spells.

In central Vietnam, areas from Quang Tri Province to Da Nang City and the eastern parts of Quang Ngai Province through Dak Lak Province are likely to have occasional showers.

The Central Highlands and southern Vietnam will generally see sunny days, with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing in the late afternoon and evening.

During the upcoming New Year holiday, civil servants and public employees in Vietnam are allowed to have four days off from Thursday, January 1 through Sunday, January 4.

To compensate, the working day on Friday, January 2 will be made up on Saturday, January 10.

For workers in the private sector, employers are encouraged to apply the same holiday schedule as that for civil servants and public employees.