Last week’s heat spell unlikely to re-emerge
There is no evidence to show that northern Vietnam’s recent record-breaking hot weather - the hottest in 45 years - will repeat again this summer, Le Thanh Hai, Deputy General Director of the National Hydro-Meteorological Centre, told Suc Khoe&Doi Song (Health and Life) newspaper.
Although other heat spells will likely continue to occur throughout this summer, it is unlikely that temperatures will hit 40 degrees Celsius again in northern provinces, Hai said.
He added that the centre predicts an average of three heat spells per month during June and July. Last week’s heat spell was the first in June, and there may be two more heat waves from now to the end of the month.
In Hanoi, the temperature reached 41-42 degrees. Hai called last week an extreme weather phenomenon and therefore difficult to predict.
The main reason was the influence of low air pressure in the west, which usually occurs in the summer. Additionally, a rare hot, dry wind in the west and urbanisation in cities helped drive the temperature up, he said.