Ho Chi Minh City and other southern localities will continue experiencing cold weather before it gets warmer in a few days, the Southern Hydro-meteorological Station said, adding that the Saigon River will rise during Tet (lunar New Year), causing flooding in low-lying areas.

>> Record-high tide to flood HCM City, again A weather pattern in which it is cold at night and in the morning has occurred during the past two months in HCMC and the southern region in general. This is a rare weather phenomenon that hasn’t occurred for many years, the Station said. Yesterday, January 23, the temperature in HCMC was 17 degrees Celsius in the morning, the same temperature as the past several days and the lowest since the beginning of the year. Many other southern localities are experiencing the same cold, including Tra Vinh, Can Tho, and Bac Lieu provinces. In Long An province’s Moc Hoa District and Dong Thap province’s Cao Lanh District, it was colder, at around 16.5 degrees, while it was even colder in Tay Ninh province, at 16 degrees. The coldest weather in the southern region was seen in Dong Nai province’s Long Khanh town, where the temperature dropped to 14.9 degrees. According to the station, the cold weather in the region will continue for several days before it becomes warmer, reaching 19-21 degrees.Rising river The Saigon River in HCMC will rise, surpassing alarm level 3 (1.5 meters) to reach about 1.6 meters on February 1 and 2 (the second and third days of Tet), the station warned. At 5:30 am and 5 pm on these days, the river will be at its highest. The rising water will cause flooding in many low-lying areas in the city, said Nguyen Minh Giam, deputy director of the station. The station has called on the city Steering Board for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control and authorities of districts to take measures to cope with the rising river. According to the city’s Anti-Flooding Program Operating Center, the city has declared the top 10 areas that are afflicted with 1.5 meters of water (alarm level 3) when flooding is at its worst. They are: Huynh Tan Phat Street (District 7); Van Than and Lo Gom streets (District 6); Binh Quoi and Ngo Tat To Streets (Binh Thanh District); Kha Van Can Street (Thu Duc District); Ho Hoc Lam Street (Binh Tan District); Luong Dinh Cua Street (District 2); Pham The Hien Street; and the Phu Dinh Quay (District 8).