Strong cold front expected to bring severe cold, snow risk in northern Vietnam

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said the cold air mass will first affect northern mountainous and midland regions before spreading to the rest of the north, the north-central and middle parts of central Vietnam by Saturday evening.

From Friday night to next Monday, northern and north-central areas may experience rain, showers, and occasional thunderstorms.

Between Saturday and Monday, northern Vietnam will see severe cold, with temperatures ranging from 10 to 13 degrees Celsius, dropping to 7-10 degrees Celsius in mountainous areas.

High mountain regions may plunge below three degrees Celsius, raising the possibility of frost and snowfall.

From Sunday, north-central provinces will also turn cold, with some areas experiencing severe cold. Minimum temperatures are expected to range between 12 and 15 degrees Celsius.

In Hanoi, rain and showers are forecast from Friday night through Sunday.

From Saturday to Monday, the Vietnamese capital will face severe cold, with minimum temperatures between 10 and 12 degrees Celsius.

Central provinces, the localities from Ha Tinh to Da Nang, and the eastern areas from Quang Ngai to Gia Lai are forecast to see rain, moderate showers, and locally heavy downpours with thunderstorms, accompanied by possible lightning and strong gusts.

The cold air will also significantly affect maritime conditions.

From Saturday, northeast winds in the Gulf of Tonkin are expected to strengthen to 30-40 kph, increasing to 40-50 kph with gusts up to 75-90 kph. Seas will be rough, with waves 2-3 meters high.

In the northern East Vietnam Sea, including Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) Special Zone, northeast winds will rise to 50-60 kph, with gusts up to 75-90 kph from Saturday. Waves will reach 4-6 meters.

Waters from southern Quang Tri to Dak Lak will experience northeast winds at 30-40 kph, gusting to 60 kph. Waves will reach 2-4 meters.

From Sunday, the waters from Khanh Hoa to Ca Mau, the central and southern East Vietnam Sea, including Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) Special Zone, are forecast to see strong northeasterly winds at 40-60 kph, gusting to 75-90 kph. Waves will reach 3-5 meters.