On the morning of 6/1, northern Vietnam experienced its second day under an intensified cold front. All 15 provinces and cities recorded minimum temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius. Mau Son peak in Lang Son, at 1,500 meters, registered the lowest at 3 degrees Celsius. Sa Pa (Lao Cai), Dong Van (Tuyen Quang), and Tam Dao (Phu Tho) all saw temperatures drop to 6 degrees Celsius.

Other high-altitude areas also experienced temperatures between 7 and 9 degrees Celsius, including Pha Din (Dien Bien), Bac Yen (Son La), Bac Ha (Lao Cai), Hoang Su Phi (Tuyen Quang), Ngan Son (Thai Nguyen), Nguyen Binh, Trung Khanh (Cao Bang), and Bac Son (Lang Son).

People commuting in the cold weather in Hanoi on the morning of 6/1. Photo: Gia Chinh

In the lowlands, minimum temperatures ranged from 12 to 15 degrees Celsius. Hanoi saw a decrease of one to two degrees compared to yesterday, with Ba Vi and Son Tay stations recording 12 degrees, Hoai Duc and Ha Dong at 13 degrees, and Lang at 14 degrees Celsius.

Central Vietnam is also experiencing the cold air, with temperatures ranging from 14 to 20 degrees Celsius, gradually rising from north to south. Temperatures of 14 degrees Celsius were recorded across most localities in Thanh Hoa, including Hoi Xuan, Yen Dinh, Bai Thuong, and Nhu Xuan, as well as in Tay Hieu (Nghe An).

In Khe Sanh (Quang Tri) and Hue City, temperatures also dropped to 17 degrees Celsius.

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting announced that northern Vietnam will continue to experience severe cold today, with some high mountainous areas facing extreme cold. Minimum temperatures in the northern lowlands are expected to be between 9 and 12 degrees Celsius, while mountainous regions will see 6 to 9 degrees Celsius, and high mountainous areas below 5 degrees Celsius. The region from Thanh Hoa to Nghe An is forecast to have minimum temperatures generally ranging from 9 to 12 degrees Celsius.

Beyond the cold, the cold front is also generating strong northeast winds, reaching level 6-7 and gusting to level 8-9, resulting in sea waves two,5 to three,5 meters high in the Gulf of Tonkin. In the northern East Sea (including the Hoang Sa archipelago), winds are forecast at level 6-7, gusting to level 8-9, with sea waves reaching three to 5 meters.

The sea area from southern Quang Tri to Dak Lak and the central East Sea will experience winds of level 6, gusting to level 7-8, with sea waves three to 5 meters high. From Khanh Hoa to Ca Mau, and in the western part of the southern East Sea (including the western sea area of the Truong Sa archipelago), winds will be level 6-7, gusting to level 8-9, and sea waves will reach 4 to 6 meters.

Meteorological agencies warn that the severe and extreme cold could impact public health. Frost and rime ice are expected to reduce resistance, heighten the risk of disease outbreaks, harm livestock and poultry, cause leaf burn, and slow the growth and development of crops.

Localized heavy rainfall could lead to flooding in low-lying areas, flash floods on small rivers and streams, and landslides on slopes. Brief, intense downpours may also cause inundation in urban and industrial zones.

Gia Chinh