At construction sites across the city, workers continue to carry on working under the scorching sun.

Early Thursday afternoon at a house construction site on Pham Nhu Xuong Street in Hoa Khanh Ward, the air was thick with heat.

Groups of builders were busy working under the sweltering conditions.

Their protective clothing was soaked with sweat, while their faces had darkened from days of working under the harsh sun.

Standing on the scaffolding of the second floor, Nguyen Thanh Huan, nearly 60, repeatedly wiped sweat from his face. The bottle of water he had brought in the morning was nearly empty.

"Working as a construction helper, I am used to being out in the sun, but the heat these days is unbearable," Huan said.

“Some days, it is already scorching by 9:00 or 10:00 am, as if the sun is burning everything.

“The heat makes us tire faster because our bodies keep losing water.”

According to Huan, a construction helper like him earns around VND500,000 (US$19) a day. The income is his family's main source of livelihood.

"If I take a day off, I lose that day's wages,” Huan said.

“The homeowner needs the work to stay on schedule, and I also need money to support my family, so no matter how hot it gets, I have to keep showing up at the site.”

To avoid the harshest hours of sunlight, many construction teams have adjusted their working schedules.

Instead of starting at 7:00 am as before, many sites now begin work at 6:00 am, taking advantage of the cooler hours before stopping around noon.

At other construction sites, sun-shielding nets and tarps have been installed to reduce direct sunlight.

However, workers still have to face the intense heat as they frequently climb scaffolding, carry construction materials, or work in areas that cannot be covered.

Concrete floors, brick walls, and steel bars that absorb heat make the air at construction sites even more suffocating.

One builder said that besides drinking water, workers also prepare electrolyte drinks or salted lime juice to replenish minerals after hours of outdoor labor.

Each person carries a large water bottle and drinks regularly throughout their shift to avoid exhaustion.

Construction workers are not the only ones struggling with the heat. Many outdoor workers, including porters, delivery workers, and environmental sanitation workers, are also enduring prolonged periods of high temperatures.

Weather forecasts predict continued severe heat in the coming days from Thanh Hoa Province to Da Nang City and eastern Quang Ngai Province, with some areas facing extreme conditions.

Maximum temperatures are expected to range from 38 to 40 degrees Celsius, with some places exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.

The lowest humidity is forecast at 45-50 percent.

It is also warned that prolonged heat combined with low humidity increases the risk of fires and explosions in residential areas due to rising electricity demand, while also posing a risk of forest fires.

Residents are advised to limit outdoor work and activities during the hottest hours of the day.

Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can cause dehydration and exhaustion, and may lead to heatstroke if people fail to replenish fluids and rest in time.