Fansipan freezes briefly

At around 7 a.m., thin layers of frost began to form on the branches and canopies of trees on Vietnam’s highest peak.

There was also sleet on a signboard at a 3,143m summit. The recorded temperature at the time was -2 degrees Celsius.

Cold air has now impacted all of northern Vietnam and much of the central region as well. In Hanoi, the lowest temperature recorded on Saturday was 12 degrees, a drop of 4 degrees compared to Friday.

Mountainous localities like Lao Cai, Lang Son, Ha Giang, Lai Chau and Dien Bien have seen temperatures drop below 10 degrees.

In central Vietnam, the lowest temperatures were recorded in Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh and Quang Tri, all of which were down to 15-17 degrees.

Meteorologists said temperatures would likely continue to drop on Saturday and Sunday as a mass of cold air would still be present in the region. The lowest upcoming temperatures in the plains and coastal areas of northern and central Vietnam are forecasted to be around 8-11 degrees.

Mountainous areas would see temperatures at around 3-7 degrees, with some locations going below 0 degrees.

Areas from Quang Binh to Thua Thien-Hue are forecasted to record temperatures of 13-16 degrees, while areas from Da Nang to Quang Ngai would see temperatures at 16-18 degrees.

The coldest periods during this winter will mainly be between December and February next year, with each period lasting around 2-5 days.