HANOI: The heatwave northern Vietnam has been experiencing since last month is expected to become the longest to have hit the region in two decades.
Temperatures in northern provinces like Lang Son, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Ha Nam and Ninh Binh were recorded at 39 degrees Celsius while those in Hanoi and Hoa Binh reached 40 degrees Celsius.
On May 21, Hanoi's Ha Dong District experienced a record 40.9 degrees Celsius, the highest May temperature since 1961.
On the same day, parts of Lao Cai, Hoa Binh and Ha Giang provinces also recorded their highest May temperatures in decades.
According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, Vietnam has been going through scorching days since early May.
The heatwave is forecast to linger until mid-June and may become the longest to have hit northern Vietnam since 1993.
Nguyen Van Huong, head of the weather forecasting department at the centre, said widespread heatwaves since 1993 had lasted only five to seven days.
The average temperatures in northern localities in the coming days are expected to reach 36 to 39 degrees Celsius.
According to the Vietnam Express, the American forecast services provider AccuWeather said the temperature in Hanoi would reach 38 degrees Celsius and remain at 35-36 until this weekend.
Huong said the heatwave was caused by low-pressure areas from the west and the Foehn wind, a type of dry, warm and down-slope wind that occurs in the lee of a mountain range.
Experts have advised residents to avoid direct exposure to sunlight between 10am and 3pm and to wear sunscreen, sunglasses and brimmed hats if venturing out under the sun.
Central Vietnam has also been hit by similar scorching weather over the past 10 days and it is expected to continue until June 16.
It is quite common for a heatwave to last up to 18 days in central Vietnam.
The most intense heatwave to have struck the region occurred in 2015, lasting for up to 39 days.
The weather agency has also warned of high risks of fire and explosion at local residential areas and forests due to the hot and dry weather.
Last year, Vietnam went through possibly the hottest summer in history with average temperatures 0.5-1 degrees Celsius higher than previously, climbing to an average 39-42 degrees Celsius in many parts of the country.
The nation broke its highest temperature record on April 20 as the mercury hit 43.4 degrees Celsius, or 110 degrees Fahrenheit, in Huong Khe District, Ha Tinh Province in central Vietnam.