Rainand cold air hit the northern region on January 18 with the lowesttemperature of 8-10 degrees Celsius and 4-7 degrees Celsius in mountain areas.
Thelowest temperature was recorded early January 18 in Sa Pa, Lao Cai province,was 7 degrees Celsius and 9.2 degrees in Mau Son, Lang Sơn province,a slight increase from the previous day.
Someother mountainous areas also experienced very low temperaturesincluding Pha Din (Dien Bien) with 9.4 degrees Celsius, Tam Dao (Vinh Phuc)12 degrees and Dong Van (Ha Giang) 7.3 degrees.
Thecapital city to the north-central region faced temperatures ofabout 16 degrees Celsius.
Meteorologicalexperts have warned that snowfall is predicted to occur in the high mountainareas of Lao Cai and Lai Chau provinces in the next few days.
During thisintensified cold spell, cold weather is forecast to hit central provinces fromHa Tinh to Thua Thien-Hue with temperatures as low as 9 degrees Celsius.
Central provincesand cities from Da Nang city to Quang Ngai province will experience lowtemperatures ranging between 15-18 degrees Celsius.
Themeteorological agency said that in January and February, the northern regionand the provinces from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien-Hue are predicted to haveaverage monthly temperatures 0.5- 1 degree Celsius lower than the sameperiod of previous years.
Thiscold spell is forecast to last 3-5 days and remain longer in the northernmountainous areas.
Expertsrecommend localities change school hours or let students stay off when thearea's temperature drops deeply, especially in mountainous areas.
Farmerswere advised to take care of their livestock herds, keeping them warm andwell-fed./.