Cold Snap and Weather Updates in Northern Vietnam

The northern parts of Vietnam and Thanh Hoa are set to endure frigid temperatures through tomorrow. Although daytime highs will exceed 20°C next week, nights will remain cold, with Hanoi expecting temperatures as low as 10°C on Christmas Eve.

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting reports that a cold front is affecting the entire northern region and parts of central Vietnam, extending into the mid-central provinces as of December 14. The cold air has also reached parts of the south-central area, bringing northeast winds at levels 7 and gusts up to level 9 over the Gulf of Tonkin. Winds in central coastal waters are blowing at level 6, with gusts reaching level 8.

This evening and overnight, the cold air is predicted to strengthen and will push further into the south-central region. On land, northeast winds will pick up to level 3, while coastal regions will see winds of levels 4–5.

From this evening to nightfall tomorrow (December 15), northern Vietnam along with Thanh Hoa will continue to face extreme cold, especially in mountainous regions.

Expected minimum temperatures during this cold spell are:

• 10–13°C in lowlands
• 7–10°C in mountainous areas
• Below 5°C in high-altitude locations

In Dien Bien and the stretch from Nghe An to Quang Binh, temperatures will be between 12–15°C, with certain spots in Dien Bien dropping below 11°C.

Hanoi will experience similar conditions, recording lows of 10–13°C. Daytime temperatures will gradually rise to 20–23°C with sunshine starting December 15, though nights and early mornings will stay around 11–13°C. The forecast predicts a drop to about 10°C by Christmas Eve (December 24).

Sunny weather in northern Vietnam, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An is expected to begin on December 16, but the mountains will continue to feel the chill.

The interaction between cold air and upper-level easterly disturbances will lead to moderate to heavy rainfall from Quang Tri to Khanh Hoa starting this evening and through tomorrow night. Rainfall may vary between 40–100mm in some areas, with localized downpours surpassing 200mm.

Furthermore, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, the Central Highlands, and southern regions will experience scattered showers and occasional thunderstorms with some areas receiving 10–30mm of rain, and localized amounts exceeding 70mm. Storms may carry lightning, strong winds, and even tornadoes.

Starting December 16, heavy rainfall in the central region is anticipated to lessen.

Meteorological experts warn that cold air will remain active until mid-January 2025, with prolonged periods of severe cold expected.

Sea Conditions

From December 14 to 15, the Gulf of Tonkin will see strong northeast winds at levels 6–7, with gusts reaching levels 8–9. The sea conditions will be rough, with wave heights between 2–4.5 meters. Wind strength is predicted to decrease from December 16.

The northern East Sea, including the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands, will encounter northeast winds at level 7, with gusts of levels 8–9 and wave heights of 4–6 meters.

Coastal regions from Quang Tri to Ca Mau and in the central East Sea will experience northeast winds at level 6, sometimes reaching level 7, with occasional gusts at levels 8–9 and waves measuring 3–5 meters.