Summer heat begins in northern Vietnam

Certain localities in northwestern Vietnam have recorded hot sunny days, when maximum daytime temperatures reached 35 degrees. Weather stations in Son La even recorded temperatures at 37 degrees around 1 p.m. Sunday.

Due to expanding low-pressure area, sunny days in northern Vietnam will intensify and are expected to last until the weekend, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

Temperatures in northwestern Vietnam may reach 37-39 degrees.

U.S. weather forecast service AccuWeather anticipates Hanoi’s highest temperatures this week to be at 35-36 degrees, with night temperatures at 25 degrees.

High-altitude locations like Lao Cai’s Sa Pa will see temperatures at 17-29 degrees on earlier days of the week, and at 25-27 degrees during the weekend.

In central Vietnam, areas from Thanh Hoa to Phu Yen are being affected by a low-pressure area, in combination with Foehn winds, resulting in hot sunny days.

At around 1 p.m. Sunday, areas in Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Phu Yen recorded temperatures at 37-39 degrees.

Hot sunny days from Thanh Hoa to Phu Yen are expected to last until April 5, with temperatures at 36-39 degrees.

Southern Vietnam will continue experiencing heat waves, with the highest temperatures at 35-37 degrees.

Meteorologists said high heat and low moisture would mean increased risks of fire. Heightened power demands may also lead to fire and explosions in residential areas.

Weather forecasts show that during the first 20 days of April, average temperatures in northern and central Vietnam would be 1-2 degrees higher than in previous years, while other areas will record temperatures 0.5-1.5 degrees higher.