HCMC – Southern Vietnam is forecast to see two reinforced cold air surges from now until the end of January, bringing cooler nights and early mornings, with temperatures dropping by 1–3 degrees Celsius and some areas in the southeastern region possibly recording lows of 16–17 degrees Celsius.
Tran Van Hung, deputy director of the Southern Regional Hydrometeorological Center, said on January 19 that weather forecast models show two fairly strong cold air intensifications affecting Vietnam toward late January.
A reinforced cold air mass is currently moving south. From the night of January 20 to the early hours of January 21, it is expected to affect most northern and central provinces before spreading to southern regions in the following days. However, its impact on the south will be weaker than the cold spell recorded earlier this month, Hung said.
Another cold air surge is forecast to arrive toward the end of January and is also assessed to be relatively strong.
According to the center, weather in southern provinces from now until month-end is expected to remain generally stable, with dry sunny days and slightly chilly nights and early mornings due to radiative cooling under clear skies.
During periods of reinforced cold air, nighttime and early-morning temperatures may drop by an additional 1–3 degrees Celsius, increasing the cool feeling. In the northern part of the southeastern region, localized cold conditions may occur.
Despite severe cold expected in northern Vietnam, temperature declines in the south are unlikely to be as sharp as those seen earlier this month, as the East Asian trough is weaker and prevents cold air from penetrating deeply southward.
Minimum temperatures in southeastern provinces are forecast to range from 20 to 23 degrees Celsius through the end of January, with some northern areas falling below 20 degrees Celsius.
In the Mekong Delta, lows are expected at 22–25 degrees Celsius. During upcoming cold air surges, such as around January 22, minimum temperatures in the southeast may drop to 19–22 degrees Celsius, with some places below 19 degrees Celsius, while the delta may see lows of 21–23 degrees Celsius.
