As a strong cold front caused the temperature in Hanoi to drop to 12 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, local residents have had a hard time keeping themselves warm.

Temperatures in the capital started to dip in the early morning, and the cold was exacerbated by a light shower.

The weather was especially challenging for children, the elderly, and those who had to leave home early in the morning for work.

Residents wear warm clothes as the temperature drops in Hanoi, December 15, 2020. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre

Hong Thu, an employee of the Hanoi Urban Environment Company, said that her shift began at 6:00 am, and she was tasked with collecting rubbish along the Hoan Kiem riverbank.

“Despite wearing many shirts and a protective pair of gloves, I can still feel the cold whenever the wind blows. Hanoi often gets chilly at this time of the year, and I have learned to adapt to it,” Thu explained.

A street sweeper works in the chilly weather in Hanoi, December 15, 2020. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre

Hoang Hai, a local resident, said he had to take his son to school in a car to keep him warm.

“I always let my son cycle to school, but this weather can make him sick easily,” Hai added.

“I can feel the cold in my bones. Elderly people like me are very afraid of such weather as it makes us suffer body aches,” said Minh, a 58-year-old drink seller in Hai Ba Trung District.

As the chilly atmosphere lingered until the evening, many people made fires on the sidewalks to keep warm.

A man reads a book at Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, December 15, 2020. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre

The intense cold snap, the first of this year’s winter, began affecting Hanoi and other northern localities on Monday and is expected to last until December 22, according to the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.

Lowest temperatures in the capital will be between 11-13 degrees Celsius during this time.

On Tuesday, the temperature dropped to 3.2 degrees Celsius in Mau Son Mountain in Lang Son Province, 7.5 degrees Celsius in Trung Khanh District, Cao Bang Province, nine degrees Celsius in Dong Van District, Ha Giang Province, and 11.4 degrees Celsius in Sa Pa Town, Lao Cai Province.

A resident sits on a bench at Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, December 15, 2020. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre

A resident sits by a fire on a sidewalk in Hanoi, December 15, 2020. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre

A man warms his hands while standing on a sidewalk in Hanoi, December 15, 2020. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre

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