The extreme weather struck multiple localities, including Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, and the capital city of Hanoi, as well as Dien Bien, Lai Chau, and Lao Cai. The Department of Dyke Management and Natural Disaster Prevention under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment reported that the storms developed in the late afternoon and evening on May 2, bringing intense rain, hail, and damaging gusts of wind.

Preliminary data show that five people were injured in Thai Nguyen, while local authorities in Tuyen Quang confirmed that seven others were hurt when strong winds and heavy rain hit residential areas. The storms caused significant damage to infrastructure and property, with approximately 350 houses and six schools having their roofs torn off, and 12 electricity poles knocked down.

In addition, nearly 1,000 hectares of rice fields and crops in Dien Bien and Thai Nguyên were affected. Authorities in the impacted provinces are continuing to assess the full extent of the damage and implement recovery efforts.

The recent wave of severe weather follows a pattern of recurring evening and nighttime thunderstorms in the northwestern region over the past two days. Notably, the latest system expanded beyond the northwest to affect northeastern areas, including Hanoi, where hail, lightning, and strong winds were also recorded.

Meteorological experts attribute the hailstorms to a low-pressure trough embedded in a westerly wind belt at an altitude of around 5,000 meters, moving from upper Laos toward northern Vietnam. This system has created favourable conditions for the rapid development of convective clouds.

At the same time, a cold air mass from China has been moving southward near the surface, interacting with the existing hot and humid air mass over the region. This interaction has intensified atmospheric instability, while upper-level wind convergence has further fueled the formation of strong thunderstorms across mountainous and midland areas.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, a weak cold air mass will continue to influence northern Vietnam. From the afternoon into the night, northeastern areas and the north-central region are expected to turn cooler, with temperatures generally ranging from 20 to 23 degrees Celsius, and lower in mountainous locations. In Hanoi, forecasts indicate moderate to heavy rain with scattered thunderstorms and the possibility of localised downpours.

Rainfall across northern and north-central provinces is expected to reach between 20 and 40ml, with some areas likely to experience totals exceeding 90ml. Further south, from Nghe An to Hue, scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast, with rainfall ranging from 10 to 30ml and localised heavier precipitation.

Meteorologists have warned that hazardous weather conditions may persist, with a continued risk of strong winds, lightning, hail, and localised flooding during the heights of thunderstorms.

Hail hits Hanoi and multiple northern localities before dawn

VOV.VN - Heavy rain was recorded in parts of Hanoi before dawn on March 30, with hail reported in some areas.