Winter, what winter? Mild heat wave hits Hanoi in mid-December

By Pham Huong   December 13, 2016 | 01:12 am PT
Winter, what winter? Mild heat wave hits Hanoi in mid-December
Hanoi feels like summer in early December, 2016. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh
Meanwhile, people in Saigon are putting on warm clothes and turning off their air cons.

It's winter in Hanoi but all of a sudden the temperatures have risen this week.

“This winter reminds me of last summer,” a reader wrote to VnExpress.

On Tuesday, it was 28-30 degrees Celsius during the day.

Professor Phan Van Tan from the University of Natural Sciences said winter in the north is caused by the Siberian High, a massive and intense collection of cold dry air that accumulates in the northeastern part of Eurasia from September to April.

This year, the Siberian High is weaker as a result of global warming so Hanoi’s winter seems to be hotter than usual, Tan said.

But Tan said while there are fewer cold days, the number of extremely cold days remains unchanged.

Local meteorologists said a cold spell is about to hit northern cities and provinces later this week, with the mercury set to dip to 12 degrees in mountainous areas.

From December 14-17, heavy downpours are expected for central provinces, increasing the risk of floods and landslides.

Meanwhile, down south in Ho Chi Minh City, very cool weather has taken many residents by surprise and many have put on warm clothes this week.

Related news:

> Saigon wraps up as 'cold' weather descends

> Hanoians huddle up as first cold spell of winter descends

 
 
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