Southern region faces new heat spell

HANOI, 26 March (VNA) - The weather in Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces in the coming days will continue to be scorching, with temperatures up to over 39 degrees Celsius. This is the 2nd heat wave in the dry season this year. Though the temperature of the area is not much different than last year but in HCM City, the temperatures may be 2-3 degrees Celsius higher than the measured data at observatory stations. The reason is that the city has vast areas of concrete and asphalt surface, which absorb heat and radiate heat back to the surrounding environment, the English-language online newspaper VietnamNet cited sources from the Hydrometeorological Observatory of the Southern Region. In the first heat wave, the average temperature measured at the monitoring stations in the southern region was about 37 degrees Celsius. In particular, some areas of Ho Chi Minh City reached 38 degrees Celsius, 38.5 degrees Celsius in Tay Ninh, and 39 degrees Celsius in Dong Xoai, Binh Phuoc province. The temperature in the southwestern region was lower, about 36-37 degrees Celsius. It is forecast that scorching weather will last until the end of April and early May. The highest temperature in the coming days in the southern region will be from 37 to 39 degrees Celsius, and even higher in Binh Phuoc province. Due to impacts of the solar radiation and hot depression from the west--heat waves do not occur long, but are divided into spells, which last an average of five days to one week each. In 1987, the highest temperature ever recorded in the southern region was 40.1 degrees Celsius in Dong Xoai, Binh Phuoc. In HCM City, the temperature reached 39.3 degrees Celsius in 1998. Due to prolonged heat this year, there will be late rain. It is forecast that in late April, the southern region will enter the transition period and the rainy season can officially come in mid-May.-VNA