Some areas in southern Vietnam recorded even lower temperatures, with the lowest at 16 degrees.
Residents in HCMC bundled up against the unusual chill, donning thick jackets and gloves. Children wore warm coats and hats as they braved the cold to get to school.
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Truong Minh Hoang and his three-year-old daughter arrive at a kindergarten in HCMC's Binh Thanh District on the morning of Jan. 13, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Dinh Van |
Le Dinh Quyet, Head of the Forecasting Department at the Southern Regional Hydrometeorology Station, stated that the lowest temperature recorded in HCMC's meteorological shelters was 19 degrees on Monday morning, while outdoor temperatures could feel 2-4 degrees colder.
"It is rare for HCMC's temperatures to drop below 19 degrees Celsius," he noted.
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Motorcyclists are seen bundled up at a red light in Thu Duc City, HCMC, on the morning of Jan. 13, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Dinh Van |
The temperature drop affected the entire southern region, including the Mekong Delta, where most areas recorded temperatures below 20 degrees.
Dong Nai Province that borders HCMC saw temperatures dropping to 16 degrees, while Da Lat, the coldest spot in southern Vietnam, recorded 11 degrees.
The last time HCMC recorded a temperature of 19 degrees was in late 2021. During the recent Christmas period, temperatures hovered around 20 degrees.
HCMC's lowest recorded temperatures over the years were 16 degrees in 1999, 17 in 2009, and 18 in 2021.
The cold snap is expected to persist in the southern region for the next few days before temperatures gradually rise.