A strong cold front will continue to sweep across Northern Viet Nam and the parts from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien-Hue  from Wednesday, December 21, with the minimum temperature expected to range from 10 - 13 degrees Celsius, and even fall further in their mountainous areas, Viet Nam’s National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting has warned.

Frost and hoar-rost covering trees in the forest of the Hoang Lien National Park near the Fansipan cable car station. (Photo: Quoc Khanh/VNA)

The national weather service said that an intense cold snap is heading south over the country and will hit the northern region on Tuesday night. It will affect North Central Coast and Mid-central region, including Da Nang, thereafter.

By the coastal areas they will see high winds at levels 4 to 5, and gustiness of levels 6 to 7 and farther inland you could find gradually increasing northeasterly wind at level 3.

The cooler weather is expected to work in the northern region and the parts from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien-Hue. The cold wave conditions intensify as the mercury is expected to drop further from Wednesday, December 21 in the northern region and North Central Coast with the temperature likely to fall as low as 10-13 degrees Celsius, and even 6 to 9 degrees Celsius in northern mountainous areas. Frigid temperatures can be expected in high mountains where can be as cold as below 6 degrees Celsius in some places.

The parts from Quang Binh to Thua Thien - Hue will also reel under intense cold wave as the minimum temperature is likely to settle from 13-16 degrees Celsius.

From Tuesday night, strong northeasterly winds at level 6, and gustiness of levels 7 to 8, as well as rough seas with waves as high as 2-5m are in forecast for the Gulf of Tonkin, the open waters off the Quang Tri - Quang Ngai coast, including Da Nang, and the middle of the East Sea.

The open waters off the Binh Dinh - Ca Mau Coast, the western part of South East Sea (including the waters in the western part of the Truong Sa Islands) could continue to experience strong northeasterly winds at level 6, sometimes level 7, and the gusts reaching levels 8 to 9, as well rough seas with waves as high 3-6m.

Reporting by TTXVN/Vietnam+ - Translating by H.L