Strong cold spell to come for northern Vietnam

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said a mass of cold air is moving down from the north, and would reach the eastern parts of northern Vietnam around Sunday afternoon or evening, before spreading to western parts.

It will be the strongest mass of cold air seen since October, and will cause rains in northern Vietnam.

U.S. weather forecast service AccuWeather said Hanoi’s temperatures may drop to 24-31 degrees on Saturday, then 16-20 degrees on Monday next week. In the coming week, Hanoi’s temperatures would be around 16-24 degrees. High-altitude locations like Sa Pa would see temperatures falling down to 12-14 degrees.

The cold air will reach central Vietnam regions starting Sunday night, causing long-lasting heavy rain. The lowest temperatures in northern parts of central Vietnam would be around 16-19 degrees, the national forecast center said.

Meteorological agencies say there will be an additional cold spell coming on Nov. 16. While it will not cause rains in northern Vietnam, it will turn the air dry during the day and chilly during the night and at dawn.