The cold weather will cause temperatures to drop to 15-21oC and bring slight rain to northern provinces. The temperature will be much lower in northern mountain areas and local people could feel chill in the daytime.  

The cold spell, which is forecast to last for four days, will also affect the central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Ha Tinh.

Meanwhile, a hot spell is continuing to spread further from north-western to north-eastern provinces, causing temperatures in the region to increase to 31-33oC in the daytime.

Weather forecasters attribute the unusual hot spell to the El Nino phenomenon which is drying rice fields across the country. The hot weather will end on February 13 – Lunar New Year’s Eve – before the cold snap approaches.