The orthern provinces of Vietnam woke up to a chillier morning on Sunday with temperatures dropping to as low as eight degrees Celsius in lowland areas and below sub-zero in mountainous locales.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, a strengthened cold front has approached several mountainous locales of northern Vietnam.

As a result, temperatures in the area have nosedived and are forecast to sink even more on Sunday night.

By 6:00 am on Sunday, Dong Van Town in northern Ha Giang Province had logged temperature of seven degrees Celsius, while Mount Mau Son in Lang Son Province recorded 9.2 degrees and Lao Cai’s Sa Pa Town saw 7.3 degrees.

The cold front is poised to reach northern and north-central areas before running down south to as far as south-central provinces on Sunday night.

Under the impact of this cold front, northern and central provinces will see chances of rains and thunderstorms, with high precipitation in several localities, in Sunday.

Meanwhile, mercury will be dragged down to as low as eight degrees Celsius in lowland areas and below sub-zero in mountainous locales, accompanied by chances of frost and sleet.

Extreme cold will spread through northern Vietnam during the nights and early mornings, but sunlight will emerge in daytime.  

The central provinces from Quang Tri to Quang Ngai will also experience cold weather with mercury ranging between 14 and 18 degrees Celsius.

Highland provinces in central Vietnam, as well as southern areas will see cold during the nights and early mornings.

The cold spell is considered a strong one, but not as extreme as the previous that hit Vietnam between January 7 and 11, said Tran Quang Nang from the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting

It will persist much less longer, only from January 17 to 19, with overcast and high humidity on the first day before clear daytime during the remaining two days.

A stark disparity between day and night temperatures is also anticipated.

“Sunday night will see chances of snow, albeit much lower than the last [cold spell] circumstance, in Ha Giang and Lao Cai," Nang said.

"Rime and hoar frost can also emerge on Monday and Tuesday."

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