Hanoi heat wave to ease Thursday night

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said heavy rains should appear in northern mountainous regions starting Thursday night, before expanding across the entire region Friday. Rain levels could reach up to 100 millimeters in 24 hours, the center added.

U.S. weather forecast service AccuWeather has predicted the temperature range in Hanoi to be between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius on Friday, and between 27-33 degrees for the week afterwards.

Rains would bring an end to the week-long heat wave that has sweltered northern Vietnam, with Hanoi experiencing temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius.

The heat wave first affected northwestern regions and western mountainous areas of central Vietnam on May 28, before spreading to the entire northern region. The heat reached its peak somewhere around June 1, when numerous localities recorded temperatures of up to 41 degrees Celsius.

Nguyen Van Huong, head of the center's forecasting division, said the searing heat is being caused by a low-pressure area from the west and the foehn wind, which keep temperatures consistently above 35 degrees Celsius for up to 19 hours a day.

Despite the heat, Hoang Phuc Lam, deputy director of the center, said this year's heat wave still pales in comparison to last year's, which saw a 43-day heat streak in northern Vietnam along with a 48-day equivalent in central Vietnam in May.

This June, Vietnam should expect two to three more heat waves, each lasting five to seven days when temperatures could reach up to 41 degrees Celsius in certain areas.

The ongoing heat wave has sparked heightened levels of electricity consumption, with over 880 million kWh on June 1, 30 million kWh more than the previous day. Hanoi in particular recorded electricity consumption of 94.8 million kWh on that day, according to National Load Dispatch Center.

Dao Nhat Dinh, an expert on energy, said increased electricity consumption was the result of heightened demand for cooling methods like air conditioning, and also due to the fact the coronavirus pandemic has forced many to work from home.