Mercury soars past 39 C as Hanoi goes through intense heat wave

Northern Vietnam is experiencing a widespread heat wave, particularly in the southern part of the northern delta. According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, Saturday was the hottest day of the heat wave, with 23 out of 25 northern provinces and cities reporting temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius.

Four out of five stations in Hanoi recorded temperatures above 38.5 degrees Celsius, with Ha Dong District recording 39.3 degrees, followed by Ba Vi District at 39 degrees, and Hoai Duc District close to 39 degrees.

Actual outdoor temperatures could be 2-4 degrees higher, depending on the terrain.

An airplane flying in the sky in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh

In Hanoi’s neighboring provinces such as Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, and Thai Binh, the highest temperatures ranged between 38-39 degrees Celsius on Saturday. By 9 p.m., temperatures remained above 30 degrees Celsius.

The central region is also experiencing a significant heatwave. On Saturday, Do Luong District in Nghe An Province recorded the highest temperature in the country at 40.1 degrees Celsius. Other provinces like Thanh Hoa and Phu Yen reported temperatures around 36-39 degrees Celsius.

Vu Anh Tuan, deputy head of the Weather Forecast Department at the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, said that the heat wave began in early August in the south central region and had spread to the northeast and north central regions by Aug. 3, eventually affecting the entire north and central regions. The heat wave is caused by the impact of a western heat wave combined with the Foehn wind.

The meteorological center said that Saturday marked the end of this heatwave. From Aug. 11 to 15, the northern region will experience widespread heavy rain, with common rainfall of 100-250 mm and some areas receiving over 400 mm.

The central region will continue to experience severe heat on Sunday, but temperatures will start to decrease from Aug. 12 onward.