Unseasonal rains expected to bring brief relief to southern Vietnam's heatwave

Cloud cover increases and unseasonal rains become more frequent, especially toward the weekend.

Although hot weather will persist in some parts of the region, moderate afternoon showers are forecast in several areas.

Le Dinh Quyet, head of the forecasting division at the Southern Regional Hydrometeorological Center, said that the rainy season in southern Vietnam may begin earlier than usual, potentially by the last week of April, which would be 5-10 days ahead of the long-term average.

As for Friday, the southern region will possibly experience partly cloudy skies with sunny and hot conditions, particularly across the southeastern provinces.

Over 50 percent of the monitoring stations across many southeastern provinces are expected to record the highest temperatures ranging from 33 to 36 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, the southeastern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau and the southwestern part, also known as the Mekong Delta, could see highs between 32 and 35 degrees Celsius.

Scattered thunderstorms may develop in the late afternoon and evening, primarily over border provinces and the Ca Mau Peninsula.

Meteorologists cautioned that gusty winds, lightning, and whirlwinds could accompany these brief storms.