Hot weather continue to bake Vietnam till May 1

All three regions of Vietnam are withstanding intense heat in early summer during the April 30 – May 1 period that has not been seen for the past 10 years.

Localities stretching from Lai Chau, Son La and Hoa Binh provinces in the northern region to Nghe An, Dong Hoi and Quang Tri in the central region recorded high temperatures of between 38-42°C.

Except for construction workers and street vendors, people in Dong Ha city of Quang Tri province chose to stay indoors when daytime temperatures hit between 43-44°C on April 29.

Meanwhile, many localities in the southern region including Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh Long, Tay Ninh and Dong Nai also experienced another hot day on April 29, with temperatures ranging from 37-39°C.

In Hanoi capital, April 29 is another hot day, with temperatures hovering around 37-39°C or above.

The temperature is likely to hit all-time high of 45°C on April 30 that could break all previously set records, according to Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Huy, an expert on climate change and disasters warning.

However, meteorologists said a weak cold spell is moving towards Vietnam from China that could first strike northern border localities on May 1.

The interaction between the cold and hot air masses would cause thunderstorms, even lightning and hail in the North, especially in the midland mountainous localities, they warned.

However, southern localities are unlikely to be affected by the cold air wave, and they will therefore continue to maintain the current weather pattern with little rain and widespread heat.