The bitter cold weather in northern Vietnam will continue throughout the final week of February as a new cold spell is forecast to hit the region, bringing bone-chilling temperatures.
The approaching cold front is predicted to be the coldest recorded in Vietnam for 40 years, Hanoi Times reports.
According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF), temperatures will drop to 8-11 degrees Celsius, and even as low as 3-6 degrees Celsius in hilly areas where rain and snow are forecast.
The chilly weather in Hanoi will be exacerbated in certain areas by light rain and strong winds, with the lowest temperatures ranging from 7-9 degrees Celsius.
“It can be forecast that with the lowest temperature during the last week of February in the capital city, this will be one of the coldest spells in more than 40 years,” said Nguyen Van Huong, head of the Weather Forecasting Department under the NCHMF.
Residents in Hanoi have struggled with the recent cold weather, with the extremely strong cold front causing temperatures to drop to nine degrees Celsius, against the average of at least 30 degrees in tropical Vietnam year-round.
Tens of elderly people have fallen ill due to the cold weather in northern Vietnam, with the Huu Nghi Hospital in Hanoi saying it has received 30-40 patients per day over the past week, most of them seniors.
According to doctors, cold weather and high humidity provide a suitable environment for respiratory viruses to thrive.
The cold spell has also kept Vietnamese students at home, despite the reopening of some schools following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.
