Severe heat wave forecast to hit northern, central regions

HÀ NỘI — A severe heatwave is forecast to hit northern and central regions in the next few days with temperatures reaching up to  四 五 degree Celsius, the National Hydrometeorological Forecast Centre said on Sunday.

The regions are expected to experience temperatures between  三 五- 三 七 degree Celsius today.

The temperature is then forecast to increase to more than  四0 degree Celsius from May  七 in northern and central localities, including Hà Nội.

Việt Nam is forecast to suffer the highest temperatures recorded in  二0 二0, according to the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration. The country is predicted to face increasing and complex pattern of natural disasters this year due to the impact of global warming, the administration said. Since the beginning of  二0 二0, abnormal weather events have been reported, including unprecedented hailstorms in northern provinces in March. Meanwhile, central and southern regions are suffering from severe drought and saline intrusion. Heavy rains are forecast in central and southern provinces at the end of  二0 二0. The rainfall in the northwestern area in May and October is predicted to fall  一0 to  二 五 per cent compared to previous years. Meanwhile, in the northeast, rainfall in June and September is expected to rise from  一0 to  二 五 per cent compared to previous years. The central region, however, has been told to prepare for prolonged droughts, with rainfall at the beginning of the rainy season lower than previous years’ average. The rainy season is predicted to come late in the Central Highlands and the south, worsening the shortage of water till early May. In October, the two regions’ rainfall will be  一 五 to  三0 per cent higher than the same period last year and the rainy season is forecast to end late. The annual flood peak at the headwaters of the Mekong River on the Tiền River in Tây Ninh Province’s Tân Châu town and Hậu River in An Giang Province’s Châu Đốc District is foreseen to be 0. 二 to 0. 四m lower than the annual flood peak. The flood peak will appear by the end of September. — VNS