Motorbike riders hide the strong sunlight in the shade of trees while waiting for the green light at an intersection in Hanoi (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - A heat wave, with a peak temperature of 40 degrees Celsius, has hit the northern and central regions, disrupting the daily life of the locals.
People have to wear thick clothes that offer protection from the sun’s strong rays when walking or driving on the streets to avoid sunburn. Pedestrian tunnels and passages beneath flyovers are found to be ideal sources of shade for outdoor labourers. Office staff have to bring their lunch to work instead of going out.
The heat wave is believed to have produced the highest temperatures since the start of the summer this year, said Le Thanh Hai, Deputy Director of the National Centre for Hydro-meteorology Forecasting.
The latest forecast from the centre issued on June 2 morning said the heat wave, which started on June 1, was expected to end on June 3 in the north and on June 4 in the central region.
Vu Anh Tuan, Head of the centre’s Short-term Forecasting Office, said the peak temperature was some 38 degrees Celsius in the northern region on June 2 and over 40 degrees Celsius in the central provinces of Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue.
However, a cold spell was seen moving south passing over the Tonkin (Bac Bo) Gulf and would bring heavy rains to the northern localities at midnight on June 4, Tuan said.
People in the northern provinces, especially in the northern mountainous areas, were warned to prepare for a hailstorm and whirlwinds triggered by a combination of the cold spell and the heat wave. They should not take shelter under big trees during heavy rains accompanied by lightning because it was easy to be struck, he said.
According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorology Forecasting, there will be 2-3 heat waves hitting the north and the central regions this month.-VNA
