On January 10-11, snow fell on Bat Xat district and Sa Pa town in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai, the first of its kind this year.
From January 9-11 in Yen Bai, frost and thick fog appeared in several communes of Tram Tau and Mu Cang Chai districts, mostly in areas at an altitude of over 1,600m such as Ban Mu, Ban Cong, Xa Ho and Lang Nhi.
In Dien Bien, about 55,000 students of about 130 schools were allowed to be absent from class to avoid coldness.
In Lai Chau on January 11, students were off school due to bitter and severe cold climate.
National Highway 4D in the province was also frozen, causing traffic congestion as vehicles were unable to move on slippery surface.
Deputy head of the Weather Forecast Office from the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Nguyen Huu Thanh said another northeast cold spell will strike the north and north central regions from January 17-18. Later, bitter and severe cold spell will last 2-3 days following January 20.
Further information about weather conditions could be found on the websites nchmf.gov.vn, kttv.gov.vn, and www.khituongvietnam.gov.vn, or the mass media./
VNA/VNP
