Cold weather along with bands of medium to heavy rains has swept through most of northern Vietnam with temperatures plummeting to near zero in several mountainous areas.

Snow falls on O Quy Ho Mount January 10

Bac Yen and Moc Chau districts in the northern province of Son La have seen the temperatures plunge to 2 degrees Celsius with highs of up to 10 degrees, which along with the wet weather has put a damper on daily life.

Livestock’s nutritional requirements can increase significantly during cold weather and local farmers have stepped up efforts to boost their energy by providing additional grain and roughage.

Local authorities have also pitched in to help farmers and provide advice on measures on how to keep their cattle warmest by putting a 15cm layer of straw on shed floors and turning on heaters when necessary.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF), Son La will continue to be deluged with rain and damaging cold in the coming days and warns that everyone should be on the lookout for floods and landslides.

*** To protect more than 1,300 hectares of rice from the cold spell the provincial departments of agriculture and rural development at Muong Than, Muong So and Binh Lu in Lai Chau province have sent its experts to assist farmers.

*** On the morning of January 10, snow covered Sapa town, even 10-15cm thick on the top of O Quy Ho hill.

Thick snow and fog on Highway 4D from Sapa town to Lai Chau made travel by vehicles difficult. However, the traffic is still busy as a large number of visitors are flocking to see the snow.

*** Meanwhile the NCHMF has reported the northern delta region, including Hanoi, is undergoing the coldest spell this winter with temperature dropping to 8-10 degrees Celsius. The cold weather has been forecast to last for 2-3 days.

Along streets in Hanoi, workers like motorbike drivers and street vendors had to burn wood on the sidewalk to keep warm.

VOV, dtinews