A chilly cold front has swept through Hanoi and northern Vietnam since December 17, which has caused the temperatures in the capital city to drop to 12-16 degrees Celsius, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF).

The night temperature in Hanoi drops to 12 degrees Celsius, the lowest since the beginning of winter this year. People burn firewood to keep warm in the cold winter. Photo: Duy Khanh/ The Hanoi Times

The cold wave brought the temperature at the peak of Mau Son in the northern province of Lang Son down to 1°C on December 17, with Hanoi at 12°C, the lowest since the beginning of winter this year.

Mountainous areas in the northern provinces of Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Lao Cai, Son La and Vinh Phuc began to endure the biting cold ranging from five to nine degrees Celsius, the center said, adding that temperatures in the capital Hanoi dropped to 11-13 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, north-central Vietnam, from Thanh Hoa province to Danang city, also faced cold temperatures ranging from 13 to 22 degrees Celsius.

The NCHMF predicts that temperatures in northern Vietnam and part of the central region will continue to drop under the influence of cold air. Snowfall and frost may occur in high-altitude areas. The forecast also predicts a prolonged cold spell, with average daily temperatures of 13-15°C or lower after December 20.

Mountainous areas such as Sa Pa Town, a popular tourist destination in Lao Cai Province, could experience a big chill as temperatures are expected to plunge to 2-4 degrees Celsius. Mount Fansipan, the highest peak in Vietnam, could see bone-chilling temperatures of less than one degree Celsius.

Typhoon Jelawat weakened to a tropical  depression to a tropical storm on December 18 and is forecast to arrive in the East Sea on December 19, said the NCHMF.

Map showing the track of Tropical Storm Jelawat. Photo: NCHMF

According to the NCHMF, no storm has made direct landfall in mainland Vietnam since the beginning of 2023. Only one tropical depression landed in the central provinces of Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Tri in September this year.