Three localities in north-central Vietnam have enjoyed the heavy rains that dispersed the scorching heat of up to 44 degrees Celsius hitting the region over the past few months.

On Thursday evening, the provinces of Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Binh, and Quang Tri all welcomed the downpours lasting for nearly one hour, which locals called ‘golden rains’ that brought them coolness after long days of suffering sweltering weather conditions.

The rains were so heavy that some areas south of Dong Ha, the capital city of Quang Tri, were submerged in rainwater that could not drain in time.

Many houses in low-lying areas of the city were submerged under 0.2 meters of floodwaters.

Residents in various locations across the province, including Cam Lo, Gio Linh, and Trieu Phong Districts, experienced relief from the prolonged heat as rains arrived, while in Quang Binh's Dong Hoi City, torrential downpours flooded several streets under 0.4 meters of water.

The same intensive rain was recorded in Le Thuy, Quang Ninh, and Bo Trach Districts of the province.

Thua Thien-Hue Province also welcomed a ‘golden rain’ that brought great joy to local residents who then expressed their excitement on social media.

“The rain has dissipated all the discomforts caused by the extreme heat that reached its peak last week. Tonight, I will open up the windows to enjoy the coolness brought by the rain,” said Le Nhan, a man in Hue, the capital city of the province.

As per the local hydro-meteorological station, temperatures are expected to decrease, promising more pleasant weather in the upcoming days.

In tandem with the delight of residents, hundreds of forest rangers, stationed at various forest guard posts, also felt a sense of relief.

The official Facebook page of the forest protection force in Thua Thien-Hue province displayed conversations where local rangers expressed immense joy over the heavy rain, reporting to their superiors about the beneficial 'golden rain.'

The content of the chats touched many netizens when they learned that the province’s rangers had worked without a day off during the recent five-day holiday that marked Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers’ Day (May 1) to detect and prevent risks of forest fires amid the heatwave.

Due to the extended period of scorching weather, with temperatures soaring up to 44 degrees Celsius and low humidity levels, authorities have elevated the forest fire warning to level 5 (extremely dangerous) for Nam Dong District in Thua Thien-Hue, and to level 4 (dangerous) for the rest of the province.

All forest rangers have been mobilized to be on duty at places prone to forest fires. 

For more than ten days, the forest guards could not have a good sleep as the risk of forest fires is always looming amid the extreme heat, said Le Ngoc Tuan, head of the Thua Thien-Hue Forest Protection Sub-Department.

Tuan expressed that he and many other rangers were moved to tears upon witnessing the invaluable rainfall, which they deemed 'more precious than gold.'

His agency has recently dispatched 230 mobile forest rangers along with hundreds of other personnel to maintain round-the-clock vigilance in fire-prone forests, aiming to swiftly detect and prevent any potential fire outbreaks.

As a result, only three minor fires have occurred over the past ten days of the toughest-ever heat in the province, damaging a small forest area of 0.1 hectare, Tuan said.

“Just recently, a forest fire took the lives of our two colleagues in Tay Con Linh Mountain Range in northern Ha Giang Province while they were trying to put out a forest fire there,” the ranger chief said.

With the rain on Thursday evening, the rangers on duty at points vulnerable to forest fire could take a short break after days of working around the clock, he added.

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