2024 marked as an exceptionally extreme year for weather in Vietnam, with the country experiencing the highest average annual temperature in history and the most powerful typhoon in three decades that caused widespread destruction.

Speaking at a seminar held by the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration on Friday, Hoang Phuc Lam, deputy head of the national weather forecast center, said that temperatures across the country from January to December was between 0.5 and 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than the average level.

Particularly, intense heat was recorded in April, with temperatures soaring by up to four degrees Celsius above the average in the northern region.

In the southern region, the heat wave lasted for 47 consecutive days, from March 29 to May 14, according to the seminar on natural disasters in 2024 and information about weather conditions expected in 2025.

The total rainfall in Vietnam last year ranged from 1,500 to 2,500 mm, with some areas recording even higher rain volumes. 

Among the 10 storms and one tropical depression facing the East Vietnam Sea, some powerful storms and a super typhoon battered the country, taking a heavy toll on many localities.

Typhoon Yagi, which struck the nation in early September and was classified as the strongest typhoon in the East Vietnam Sea in the past 30 years, caused severe damage across multiple provinces from Quang Ninh to Hai Phong City, and Hanoi.

In 2024, Vietnam also experienced massive flooding throughout the year.

From September 7 to 15, the impact of typhoon Yagi caused extensive flooding in several northern provinces, with 20 out of 25 northern localities flooded. 

Heavy and torrential rains triggered by Yagi, the third storm to hit Vietnam last year, led to landslides and flash floods in many mountainous areas of the northern region.

Drought and saltwater intrusion were also pressing issues in the Mekong Delta region. Early and severe saltwater intrusion wreaked havoc on agriculture and daily life.

2025 forecast

According to Lam, cold spells might sweep through the northern region from January to March in 2025, with the possibility of intense cold fronts bringing frost and freezing temperatures in mountainous areas.

As for the heat, the southern and Central Highlands regions may experience the first signs of heatwaves in early March, while the northern and central regions are forecast to face rising temperatures in May. 

“The intensity and duration of heatwaves in 2025 might not be as extreme as those in 2024,” Lam said.

The national weather center also forecast that Vietnam would see a similar number of storms and tropical depressions in 2025 as it did in previous years at some six storms, starting from June.

Meanwhile, between 11 and 13 storms and tropical depressions might hit the East Vietnam Sea this year.

There might also be widespread rainfall across the country in 2025, with approximately 20 periods of heavy rain expected, beginning in June in the northern region.

In the southeast region, tidal surges are forecasted to occur in six periods throughout the year, particularly in early March, late March, late April, mid-October, early November and early December.

In addition, saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta is predicted to remain high during the dry season from February to April.

However, the situation is expected to be less severe than the saline intrusion in 2015-16 and 2019-20.

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