Cold surge forecast to bring severe chill, rain across northern Vietnam

From late Tuesday through Thursday, scattered rain is forecast across the north and the north-central provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An.

By Wednesday, the cold air may strengthen further, spreading to other areas of the northeast, the northwest, and parts of central Vietnam, resulting in a sharp drop in temperature.

Mountainous and midland areas of the north may experience severe cold from Thursday to Friday, with some locations facing damaging cold.

The national weather agency warned that northern mountainous provinces should be on alert for frost and ice, especially in high-altitude areas.

During this cold spell, the lowest temperatures in the north, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An are forecast to range from 11 to 14 degrees Celsius.

In northern mountainous areas, the mercury may fall to 8-11 degrees Celsius, with some high mountain locations dropping below six degrees Celsius.

In Hanoi, scattered rain is expected from Tuesday evening through Thursday. From Wednesday onward, the Vietnamese capital may turn cold, with minimum temperatures commonly between 12 and 14 degrees Celsius.

Due to the influence of the cold air mass, the central areas from Ha Tinh to Da Nang and the eastern parts of Quang Ngai to Gia Lai are forecast to see rain and showers from Wednesday, with some places experiencing moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms, accompanied by possible hail and strong gusty winds.

The weather agency added that the cold air may also affect maritime conditions.

From late Tuesday, the northern East Vietnam Sea, including Vietnam's Hoang Sa (Paracel) Special Zone, will see northeast winds strengthening to 50 kilometers per hour, with gusts up to 80 kph, and waves rising to 3-5 meters.

From Wednesday, the Gulf of Tonkin is forecast to experience northeast winds at around 50 kph, gusting to 75 kph, with waves 2-3 meters high.

The waters from southern Quang Tri to Khanh Hoa and the central East Vietnam Sea will see similar strong winds and rough seas.

From Thursday, the waters from Lam Dong to Ca Mau and the southern East Vietnam Sea, including the western part of Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) Special Zone, are forecast to face winds up to 60 kph, gusting to 80 kph, with waves reaching 3-5 meters.