Ho Chi Minh City wakes to unusually chilly 19°C morning

The city, known for its year-round heat, enjoyed a refreshingly cool, clear morning with light winds and moments of genuine cold.

Many commuters expressed surprise and delight at the rare cool spell.

Streets were filled with people donning jackets and scarves, while parents bundled their children in warm clothing and masks before sending them off to school.

Weather apps on smartphones displayed temperatures around 19 degrees Celsius with clear skies across the city.

Meteorologists attributed the sharp drop to a strong mass of cold air moving southward.

Typically, cold air masses shift eastward over the sea before reaching southern Vietnam, but this time the pattern changed.

The presence of storm Koto, the 15th storm to hit the East Vietnam Sea this year, helped channel the cold air directly from north to south.

As a result, its intensity remained strong upon reaching the southern region, including Ho Chi Minh City, leading to a noticeable plunge in temperatures.

Other parts of southern Vietnam also enjoyed cooler conditions on Friday morning.

In several southeast provinces, temperatures dropped even further, with some areas recording below 18 degrees Celsius.